Noodles & Ninja Wire
by Djinn Crimsora
Summary: Update soon; the events of the Kyuubi's assault and Naruto's birth occurred 2 years ahead of canon, leaving Naruto older than his canon classmates. See what happens and how it all goes down inside as he goes through life with Ayame!
1. Revelations & Responses

(A squad of odd-looking penguins with peg-legs and fanny packs scramble around the stage with frantic actions of construction equipment)

**Hello and welcome everyone! This is my newest project, quite a bit different than either _Beyond the Darkness of Fate_ and _Fluter & the Misfit_.**

**How you ask? **

**This is a NaruAyame, and there will be minimal character death, unlike my first story and will take place in the same world as canon unlike my second fic. **

(I grab a penguin as it runs by, it's peg-legs still flailing as I hold it up in the air)

**These little buggers, if you haven't heard of _Disgaea_, are called _prinnies_. They're essentially immigrant workers trying to pay off their sins from past lives with either an equivalent number of good deeds or a loosely comparable amount of cash earned from grunt work at low pay. They carry a small arsenal of interesting weapons, and do a nasty little trick when you throw them. Watch!**

(I throw the prinny I had grabbed at a group of six other prinnies slacking off at the far end of the stage; the resulting explosion from the impact destroys that part of the stage floor)

**They go BOOM!**

**Alright, enough of that for now. Let's get on with the first chapter for _Noodles and Ninja Wire_!**

(Another group of five prinnies scramble past me with a sign saying the following:)

Dsiclaimer doods! Djinn doesn't own Naruto, and if he did, we'd end up being the kid's summons and get thrown around more than kunai doods!

* * *

[-]

"There he is, get him!"

_'Why are they doing this?'_

"Get the demon incarnate!"

_'Why me?'_

"We're gonna get you, you little shit!"

_'I didn't do anything to them!'_

"You can't run forever!"

_'Someone help please!'_

A young child, barely four years to the day, was having to run from a large mob of drunk and aggravated villagers, some carrying weapons while others torches. His unruly and messy blonde hair kept getting in the way of his eyes, making it hard for him to avoid running into most everyone's legs in his attempts to run for his life. His blue eyes darted every which way for a place to hide, not having any idea as to why the old ladies at the orphanage had suddenly taken everything he had, which was not much to begin with, and just thrown him out on the street the way they had just a few hours before. His clothes were already ripped and torn in places from having gotten out off the clutches and grasps of those that were chasing him, some of them barely missing him with a knife or piece of broken booze bottle. His blood was staining the white shirt he wore, his pants having only a meager piece of rope keeping them on as he had to run barefoot after the ladies took even his shoes.

Indeed, Naruto Uzumaki didn't understand why everyone, even the kids his own age, despised him the way they did. For the time that he could remember, Naruto was envious of all the other kids he'd seen get adopted by people, always wanting someone, _anyone_ to adopt him and give him something better than a creaky cot under a leaky spot in the coldest room of the shabby orphanage, rags for clothes and rags for blankets. His daily meals were almost as bad as his living conditions, sans the greatly anticipated visits from Ojii-san.

But things had changed today after Naruto made his way into the crowded dining room earlier that day. The old fat woman in charge of the whole facility had pulled him forcefully out of line for food by the scruff of his neck and towards the front door. When they got there, her assistant promptly removed Naruto's shoddy shoes, took his thin jacket and opened the door which he was promptly thrown out of by the woman in charge. She yelled at him to never return and go die in a gutter for all she cared.

It was fine for him despite having just become homeless, up until about the time the sun set. That's when the adults started to notice him as they came out of the bars, the smell of cheap alcohol _very_ fresh on their breaths. Upon them catching sight of him, Naruto froze. Never in his short life had he seen someone with so much rage before, and especially never coming at him with a weapon that made the cook's large kitchen knife seem like it was meant for spreading butter on bread. Before he knew it, a knife had been sent his way and barely missed due to the lack of proper aim in the thrower's regard. The young child soon let out an ear-piercing scream and dashed as fast as he could with such small legs away from the bad people that wanted to hurt him.

Naruto had been able to evade them so far, but the distance him and the mob kept shrinking as time went on. His body was almost at its end as he turned another corner and found himself face to face with a girl no older than him accompanied by what Naruto could only guess to be her father. He barely had a moment to spare them a second thought as he turned back and found the first of the mob only ten yards away.

Without a word, the young blonde decided that he only had one chance if he was going to live through this. With the same amount of concentration when using it on the Old Man, Naruto turned his only move on the man with the little girl. "Would you please help me and protect me from the bad people?" he asked, eyes growing large and watering slightly.

The tall man holding the hand of the little brunette felt a tugging on his arm as his daughter tried to reach her hand out to Naruto, almost as if she could sense exactly what he was talking about. Looking from his daughter to the blonde child and then the direction from which the boy appeared, Teuchi Ichiraku made the single-most influential decision after having asked his late wife to marry him.

"Of course, let's get you out of sight."

* * *

[-]

Since that night, the Fourth Anniversary of the Defeat of the Kyuubi no Kitsune as well as the loss of the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze, Naruto Uzumaki had been secretly living with the Ichiraku Ramen Stand owner and his only daughter Ayame. The boy would sneak out of their house every morning before day break to create the illusion he was living on the streets while returning to the small modest home every night around an hour before sundown to keep out of the sight of the mobs and the occasional ninja seeking to harm him.

This routine was his own idea, as Naruto was adamant in not being the cause of any harm that may have befallen the only other people in the village aside from Ojii-san to show more than anger towards him if the villagers found him residing in their abode. Everything ran smoothly, even after Naruto started attending the Academy for Ninja Candidates at the age of seven and a half alongside Ayame.

Naruto convinced Teuchi to give his okay to attend the school after pointing out that he wouldn't always be there to provide a safe-haven for the blonde night after night. Naruto wanted to be able to provide and protect himself when the inevitable occurred, and it surprised the ramen chef when his own daughter threw in with their discrete house guest, saying that she wanted to gain at least some of the basics even if she failed to graduate.

Ayame had already set her life to follow that of her father in the running of the ramen stand, but she secretly always wanted to perform at least some of the stuff that ninjas were acclaimed to do. She never put forth any real effort into the classwork unlike her friend who was lucky if he ever got a moment of the teacher's attention, instead focusing more on the limited fundamentals of standard taijutsu and weapon practice. Over the four years mandated for basic education in the ways of the shinobi arts, Ayame had managed to assist Naruto in most of the stuff they were taught in the classes while still keeping up the disguise that Naruto was a mere homeless kid only trying to make his own way in life.

When it came time for their graduation exams, Ayame and Naruto both agreed that it was not necessary for her to pass since she really only took the classes to help Naruto out and to give her some semblance of how to at least defend herself. So, when she failed to perform to par with the rest of the class, Ayame paid no mind to it as her father nodded his head to her while they waited for Naruto.

Naruto on the other hand was devastated when he failed. He and Ayame had been working on his weak points every chance they got even at the risk of someone finding out their ruse so that Naruto could try and master the most difficult of the jutsu. The written exam wasn't that much of a problem for him as he and Ayame were always studying before heading to sleep each night, and his aim and accuracy with kunai and shuriken were both fairly decent; his taijutsu may have been a tad messy but it got the job done. His transformation was fairly advanced for his age group considering he'd somehow managed to actually create his own variant of the basic version that turned him into a blonde bombshell, which he'd subsequently called the sexy jutsu. His substitution was sub-par but his worst jutsu of all was the clone but no one could figure why it utterly failed nor did most anyone care enough to think about it.

That was what it all had come down to was the damn clone jutsu. Naruto had no idea why his clones, when he actually got them out, were at best laid out dead on the floor with a deathly pale complexion and sticking their tongues out. The clone jutsu was the last part of the test, and for some reason the most important to succeed at. When he made his clones, Iruka sighed and scratched his name from the list on his clipboard while Mizuki guided the downtrodden blonde out of the room. Even through the doorway, Naruto could hear Mizuki trying to argue Naruto's small success in at least _making_ clones to Iruka in order to pass him by, but the scarred chunin wasn't going to listen to his grey-haired coworker's reasons.

The only solace Naruto got from that day was that he had another two attempts at trying to become a genin before he would either have to give up and find another way to live without fear or leave and join another hidden village.

"Well, I've got two more tries at the Academy to become a genin in Konoha before they're going to ban me from becoming a Leaf ninja," he said lazily over his meal in the Ichiraku dining room that night. "If it weren't for the fact that the principal knew that the clone was my worst jutsu, I'd have passed today..."

"Don't worry Naruto, you'll get it next year," Teuchi said while taking a bite of his own meal.

"Yeah Naruto-kun, I'm sure you'll make it before then. No problem." Ayame saw him just poking at his meal and prodded him in the forehead with her chopsticks, getting a playfully lazy swat from his chopsticks in response. "C'mon, cheer up! How about we go get you some new clothes or something?"

"But I like my orange jumpsuits just fine..." the blonde whined as he hugged his arms around himself, trying to keep the clothes-snatchers away.

Ayame giggled as she poked his shoulder in the middle of the red spiral. "But Naruto-kun, orange isn't exactly the most stealthy of colors for a ninja to wear; especially not with how much of it you wear."

"I have to agree with her, Naruto. Orange isn't the best color to wear when you're trying to blend in with the crowd and gather information or sneak up on someone to assassinate them," Teuchi commented with a lopsided grin.

Naruto looked down at his orange jumpsuit and pulled the jacket out from his body with one hand while thinking. After a couple moments of pulling it out and releasing, the blonde looked at Ayame and asked, "How are we going to afford it though? You know my track record with getting a fair price in the village is..."

Her father placed his utensils on his plate while standing. As he made his way to the hanging cupboard on the wall, he answered Naruto's question. "That's easy Naruto: ever since Sarutobi-sama learned about how we provide you with food and a place to stay at night, he's been secretly slipping us funds from the village vaults to help out with our expenses. And since you're not a very picky person about food and never asked for anything much, the money's just been piling up and up." He pulled a keyring with a wide variety of keys from his pocket and selected one which he then inserted into the keyhole of the cupboard. Pulling out a box from the back of one of the shelves inside, Teuchi sat back down and bit his thumb enough to draw blood. "Every yen the Hokage's given us to provide for your needs have been stashed in this box which was made by the sealmaster Jiraiya and given to the Hokage as a gift. Sarutobi did everything short of threatening to burn down the ramen stand if I didn't take his generosity for caring for you."

Teuchi smeared the blood on the top of the box and held his thumb there as a seal glowed on the lid's surface. After a moment when the glow died away, there was a hiss and a _click_ as the ramen chef lifted the wood and pushed the opened box towards the whiskered boy. "Everything there is rightfully yours Naruto. We've only needed to spend a little bit here and there when the slow times came around at the stand, but other than that and the occasional gift, that's everything that's been slipped to us from the village account books."

The blonde could only stare with eyes the size of dinner plates at the amount of money within the box. Resisting the urge to pull out the cash and looked over at Ayame. "Well, that covers the issue of cash; now how am I going to score a fair price?"

"You managed to pull off the transformation without much trouble right?"

* * *

[-]

The next day found Naruto and Ayame walking through the market section of Konoha, Ayame in her cream-colored shirt and black capris with the shinobi sandals she'd been accustomed to wearing throughout the last four years as Naruto walked under the guise of a genjutsu making him look like a non-descript brunette with a blue shirt and black pants and sandals. Luckily they'd been able to cover the characteristic whisker marks with the help of another genjutsu Ayame was able to apply over his transformation.

Naruto walked beside his oldest and only friend, hands in his pockets while he fiddled with his bulging wallet. '_Geez, can't believe Ojii-san managed to slip Teuchi nearly five million yen over the last eight years!_'

"You remember what we talked about, Daisuke?" Ayame asked with a glance at the 'brunette' beside her out the corner of her eye. They'd come up with his alias after dinner the night before while Naruto was examining exactly how much cash he had to work with, seeing as how it would be pretty dumb to go through the trouble of making him an entirely new persona and give him away by calling him by his real name.

"Yeah yeah, only getting some new threads; weapons can wait for later." 'Daisuke' was decidedly going to be a pissy bastard, an attitude no one would expect from the village's punching bag.

After several minutes of perusing the windows of the ninja supply shops, Ayame was about to drag her old friend into one but found great resistance when Naruto froze. She looked back at him with a confused look on her face but waited for him to answer rather than ask the obvious question.

"The girl at the counter, she's one of the kids from the class that I'm gonna be joining next year. Name's Tenten if I remember right," 'Daisuke' said in a lowered tone.

Ayame released his arm and placed a hand on her hip as she looked him over critically. "And what's so bad about that?"

"If I buy clothing from here under this _illusion_, she'll put two and two together when classes resume a month from now! Last thing we need is for people to ask questions, especially my own classmates!" he responded, his dark blue eyes turning slightly darker.

Ayame stood there speechless for a few moments. '_He's never thought of something so thoroughly before... When did Naruto-kun actually start thinking like a ninja?_' "Okay, fine. Let's find another shop fast or else I'm gonna drag you in there if I have to."

A few moments later and a couple blocks away, the two finally found another supply shop. Inside they came across a larger selection to choose from than any other store they'd looked at yet. Without any inclination of being found out, Naruto and Ayame set about the store to find the blonde a new look to replace the atrocious orange jumpsuit.

Within an hour, the two of them had amassed several outfits with colors of crimson, dark blue, black and dark grey pants and shirts, Naruto deciding to swap out the usual blue shinobi footwear for black pairs while whimpering mentally at the lack of orange. Just as they reached the register to pay for their selections, a pair of chunin entered with scowls on their faces.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing in here, demon brat? You're not allowed in this shop!" shouted one with a mob of black hair. His partner sneered when he saw Ayame back up. "So it looks like you've started to chase the girls in the village now have you?" he added as he pulled out a kunai.

"Kai!" shouted his partner with short brown hair and a mark on his left cheek as he dispelled the two genjutsu Naruto was hiding under.

A puff of smoke later and in the place of the nondescript brunette from a moment stood a blonde kid wearing a bright-as-day orange jumpsuit with blue eyes and whisker marks.

When the clerk behind the counter regained her senses, she pulled out a short sword from underneath the counter top and raised it above her head as she screamed for help. "Help, the demon-reborn's trying to steal from me!" She yelled out as she brought the weapon down towards Naruto's head in an attempt at slicing his head in half. Ayame stood there speechless as the chunin that had dispelled the disguise tossed a couple kunai while his partner charged the blonde with a dagger. Naruto was just standing there, his head down at the turn of events.

'_Why can't anyone just be nice to me? What did I ever do to them to be treated like this? I hate it, I hate it, I Hate It, I HATE IT!_'

Within the span of three seconds, Naruto used one hand to catch and consequentially snap the clerk's sword halfway to the tip, used the broken sword's tip-half to deflect the thrown kunai and caught the arm of the chunin with his other hand. He looked the shaggy chunin in the eyes as he dropped the sword blade to the ground and grabbed the wrist of the larger man's arm and pushed it back away from him. "I **never** did **anything** to **you!** Why does **everyone** treat **me** like **this!**" he asked through gritted teeth.

The chunin still at the door pulled out another kunai as he rushed Naruto from around his partner. He thrust his kunai out from behind his partner in an attempt to land the weapon between his ribs but his weapon found its tip in another body than that of its original target.

Naruto looked on in horror as Ayame had stepped in the way of the kunai meant for his lung. His strength faltered just enough for him to lose his balance and get tossed to the floor by the first chunin. The second one gripped his kunai handle and shoved the girl off it forcefully, sending her to the ground in a lump next to Naruto. The clerk had since left her store in hopes of getting ANBU in there to finish the demon off and thus missed what happened next; something that those present would never forget, especially young Naruto Uzumaki.

At seeing his only friend his own age in the entire world getting in the way of a blow meant for him and treated like a mere piece of trash, Naruto completely lost his marbles. He stood up from the ground while the two chunin readied their weapons again to strike him down hopefully for the last time. He hunched over as his hands clamped over his ears, his voice hoarse as he started muttering something the two chunin couldn't hear.

Before either of them could react, the boy was starting to ooze a red mist from every pore of his body. He let his hands fall to his sides as he calmly stoop up straight and faced the two shinobi with closed eyes. When he opened them a moment later, you could almost smell the faint odor of feces in the room as Naruto stared both men dead on with slitted red eyes.

"**I just **came in here **wanting to **buy some new clothes** at a reasonable price** since no shop in this **whole village gives **me a fair deal, **and just as I'm **about to be done and leave, **you assholes come here and **injure my **only friend!**" he roared in a raspy voice, his hands flexing as his fingers seemed to sharpen into points while his teeth started to poke out his lips.

There was a pair of _clatter_s as both ninjas dropped their weapons and started backing away in fear. Never had they expected to see the reincarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox, let alone within their own village walls. Both attempted to flee but then found the blonde had somehow moved to be blocking their way out the door.

"Don't think **you're going to get** away from this place on your **own!**"

Naruto moved faster than both chunin could think, letting this strange feeling empower him beyond anything he'd ever felt before. He ran at the two with his hands pointed for two jabs. He was about to sink a hand into the throats of both chunin when he felt a pair of hands on each shoulder trying to restrain him. He struggled against the cloaked ANBU with everything he was feeling, which was actually enough to surprise the two elite ninja when he actually broke free and launched off their chests with strikes landing in the foreheads of the chunin between him and Ayame.

The two ninja that had started the whole mess fell to the ground unconscious as Naruto somersaulted over their collapsing bodies and landed next to Ayame. He knelt beside her as more ANBU and an elderly man entered through the doorway to the shop, gently picking up her body in his arms.

"Naru-Naruto-kun..." she said weakly as she looked through blurry eyes into his calmingly blue orbs, the red mist having dissipated along with the other physical changes he had undergone only a few moments ago. "Are you al-alright?"

"Yes Ayame, I'm fine but you need to keep quiet and save your strength. We need to get you to see a medic before that wound gets infected or something," he said with a strained voice, tears dripping onto her face as he did the best he could to keep from bawling at seeing her still alive.

ANBU surrounded the two of them as the old man with the grey beard and a pipe stood behind Naruto, a single ANBU hefting the chunin over his shoulders and departing for the hospital.

"Naruto-kun, what happened in here? Why did you attack those chunin just now?" the old man asked in a gruff voice.

Naruto refused to let his eyes stray from Ayame's face in fear of her falling unconscious as he replied. "Old Man, Ayame-chan and me were just trying to buy some new clothes here, we had a couple illusions on me to keep people on the streets from giving us a hard time. Just as I was about to pay for the stuff, those assholes came in, dispelled the two genjutsus and the clerk freaked out." He picked Ayame bridal style and turned slowly so as to not aggravate her wound, his gaze hard as he looked at the departing ANBU. "The clerk pulled out a sword from the sheath attached to the bottom of the counter as one chunin threw a couple kunai at me as his partner charged me with a dagger. Just as their blows were about to hit their marks, I snapped. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to fend off all three attacks in only a few seconds. And that's when the one who threw the kunai charged in behind his partner, trying to catch me off guard with a kunai aimed for my lung out of my sight. Ayame here took that blow for me though, and that's when everything turned... red."

The clerk from moments ago returned to the scene with a mob behind her, each one armed with anything they thought would work in harming Naruto. "There he is, the demon brat! Get him!"

"SILENCE!" yelled the Third Hokage, turned abruptly to face the insuing mob. "You all know the law! And as such, you all know the punishment!" He removed his hat and robes, handing them off to an ANBU as the others surrounded Naruto and Ayame. "Before you are all sentenced, do you have any proof to your claims that these two were in any way going to harm you or steal from your shop, Tsukino?"

"Lord Hokage, he should have been put to death the day he was reincarnated! And how could he have paid for all those clothes," she pointed at the numerous piles of clothes on the counter by the register box, "when he's got no money? He and his little whore were going to kill me and steal everything they could before leaving my shop in a heap of rubble!"

"Enough of your insolence!" Sarutobi roared out. He looked over his shoulder at Naruto as he spoke next. "Naruto, how were you going to pay for that much clothing? I know you get little money from doing the chores at the Academy as it is, and you spend most of that on your ramen."

Naruto would have scratched the back of his head had he not been holding Ayame in his arms, an ANBU having lifted up the side of the girls shirt and applying a salve and some bandages to the weapon wound. "Ya see Old Man, I kinda found this box of money that had a seal of some kind on it. After talking with Iruka-sensei about it, I found out it was a blood seal. So when I opened it last night, I found a ton of money inside with a note saying that it was from my folks, their life savings and that it was all they could do for me after they'd passed away during the Kyuubi Attack. So I talked with Ayame-chan, and we decided to go shopping for new stuff with me disguised to prevent any trouble..."

"Liar! You were never _born_, you're just the second-coming of the-"

The woman would have finished her accusation had she still had a skull to her neck. But the grey-haired leader of Konoha had other plans. These plans seemed to be cleaving her head off with a sword through the hinge of her jaw and cleanly slicing backwards until the majority of her head fell to the floor as her body slumped over, blood pouring out over the wound with her tongue flopping a bit. As her head came to a stop, her eyes were frozen in widened shock while looking in Naruto and Ayame's direction.

The mob of people waiting outside had been quite noisy up until their quote-unquote leader lost her life unexpectedly. This caused them all to flee, several of them having dropped their 'weapons' in disregard to flee before they too were put to death.

Sarutobi sighed as he traded the bloodied sword for his formal Hokage attire as Naruto, still holding a now slightly conscious Ayame, stepped from the circle of elite shinobi. "What happens now, Ojii-san?" he asked, affixing his gaze on the man's face to keep from peeking at the late shop clerk's corpse.

"Right now, we need to get the two of you back to your home. Make sure to leave enough for your purchases and then some for cleaning products for the owner of this shop on the counter," Sarutobi said as he relit his pipe.

Naruto nodded as he let Ayame down, the girl having developed a healthy blush unknowingly at the closeness of her and Naruto. They stepped to the counter where one of the masked ANBU had taken the time to bag all the clothes that had been there for them. Each took four bags, Naruto having to wait a moment while making sure to leave enough for everything they took and a generous tip left over for the troubles of the shop. He picked his bags back up and followed the Hokage out the door as the ANBU scattered to their usual hidden formation around the three as they made their way back to the Ichiraku household.

Teuchi ran out of the house just as they arrived, worry written all over his face upon seeing the hole and accompanying blood on his daughter's shirt. He was relieved though to see the bandages on the wound when he rushed over and immediately lifted the hem of her shirt. "Oh my god, you're both okay! When I'd heard that Tsukino was forming a riot to kill someone, I feared the worst! Thank you so much for bringing them back, Lord Hokage!" he said as he hugged both Naruto and Ayame into his chest and flung them about wildly.

"Now now, let the two breath Teuchi! I understand your worry but there is a matter the four of us must discuss inside. There are ears everywhere," Sarutobi said in a hushed tone.

Naruto and Ayame plopped down onto the comfortable couch at one end as Sarutobi took the lazy chair Teuchi normally used, the ramen chef taking the last spot on the couch next to Ayame. "Shall we need anything, Lord Hokage?"

"No, the ANBU will take care of it." Sarutobi put his pipe away as he leaned forward on his elbows with his hands coming together for his chin to rest on. "Now, Naruto and Ayame, I'm sorry that I had to illustrate that display in front of the two of you this afternoon," he started while holding a hand up at Teuchi's inevitable interruption, "but some things have happened in the village that require a certain level of secrecy. What I'm about to tell the two of you is ranked a SS-level secret. To protect this secret, no one that was old enough to remember the events that took place during and subsequently afterwards were forbidden from telling this to anyone who was below the age of five at the time or born after October tenth over twelve years ago. The penalty for breaking this law, as you saw earlier, is death."

Naruto and Ayame looked at each other for a moment as Sarutobi and Teuchi shared a sidelong glance. The two kids seemed to almost be talking mentally to one another as the two older men just waited for them to speak.

They didn't have long to wait as the blonde and brunette turned to the Hokage with determined looks.

Naruto was the one to speak first. "Ojii-san, for as long as I can remember and probably even before that, virtually everyone in this village has treated me like crap and I've never known why. The night I was thrown out of the orphanage by that old hag I was chased around every block of Konoha by mobs and I could have easily died if it weren't for Ayame-chan and her father giving me a place to sleep safely at nights. Ever since, I've been playing the homeless prankster and going to the Academy with Ayame to learn to at least protect myself from the villagers while I came back here every night and got a good meal and a warm place to sleep."

He stood up from the couch and threw off the jacket he was wearing, tossing it at the doorway to the main hall. "Every time I went to get clothes or equipment, I was either flat-out refused service or sold the shittiest merchandise at three times or more than normal! Teuchi was the only restaurant that would serve me, and all but Iruka-sensei could give less of a damn about me! I'm so tired of this cloak and dagger stuff about my past, why everyone treats me like I kicked their damn puppy! I want to know why so I can stop caring about what other people think, so Ojii-san, please tell me why it is everyone in this place fucking hates me!" He finished his speech as he slumped to his knees, his head lowered and hands covering the silent tears that came unbeckoned.

Ayame knelt beside Naruto as Sarutobi looked at Teuchi. "I've already given him the money that you've slipped us to provide for him. Like I told Naruto last night, we only used a little during slow times at the stand or to get him a gift every so often. That was the money he was going to use to pay for the clothes he and Ayame went out to shop for."

Sarutobi closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, resisting the urge to reclaim his pipe and light it with fresh tobacco. "Alright then Naruto, but are you sure you want to know his secret Ayame? Once I start, you'll be bound just like your father to not breath a word of this to anyone but the three of us and only in _complete_ privacy." When the young girl simply nodded her head, still kneeling next to Naruto with an arm over his shoulders and patting his farm shoulder gently, the Third Hokage sighed again. "I'll put it simply Naruto, none of the sugar-coating since you've suddenly matured greatly."

"Naruto, twelve years ago, when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked our village, you've been told that the Fourth Hokage took a fatal blow from the demon as he dealt his own against it. The truth is that, despite what everyone says, it's impossible to _kill_ a demon lord or tailed beast as we call them, so the Hokage, Minato Namikaze, used a forbidden jutsu to give up his own life and call forth the God of Death to seal the Kyuubi's soul inside a newborn infant at the cost of his own life. That newborn was his own son, a child whose umbilical cord was just severed and whose coils had not fully formed. Naruto," he stood and walked to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder while kneeling before him, "_you_ were the infant that Minato, my successor, used to save this village from the wrath of the demon. _You_ are the sole legacy and heir to the Namikaze clan."

Naruto slowly looked up into the old eyes of the Hokage, a strange look in his eyes that no one had ever seen before when it came to the blonde. He looked almost... content, reserved.

"So, everyone thinks of me as the demon reborn? No one recognizes that I'm just the casualty of Fate in this fucked up play of living marionettes?" he asked somberly. "And that's what caused me to lose it this afternoon against those chunin, after Ayame-chan took that kunai blow?"

The leader of the village could only nod, never having witnessed such an attitude in the boy like this before. He was secretly hoping that Naruto wasn't going to let his anger at finding out about his past destroy him and unleash his tenant, like what intelligence reports he had of the Kazekage's son doing on a simple whim.

Ayame and Teuchi were surprised at hearing Naruto speak so... _maturely_ at this, especially Teuchi. The ramen chef thought for sure that Naruto would have blown a fuse upon hearing that he had been arbitrarily sacrificed to save the village by his own father and never got the respect he deserved for keeping the demon at bay all this time.

When Naruto got up, Ayame stood along with him. She stayed in the front room however as he signaled everyone to stay as he vanished into the hallway. Everyone could hear the rustling of bags and clothing from the opened bathroom door echoing through the hall as Naruto was apparently changing. They then heard another door open not far from the bathroom and the tossing of clothes onto the hall floor came to them. Moments after the _thud_ of clothing upon wood floor stopped, Naruto reentered the room with every single orange jumpsuit he had owned in his arms, including the pants he'd been wearing only a little while ago, and dumped them on top of the jacket he had discarded earlier. He took his place at Ayame's side once again and looked at them before speaking once more. "Fine, if they can't deal with what I keep inside me, that's their problem and not mine. I don't care anymore about what they say! I'm Naruto Namikaze, not a fucking furball that was stupid enough to attack us and even stupider for getting itself sealed into an infant!"

The three other people in the room could tell by his disregard for what had become his trademark attire that Naruto was serious now. No longer was there any speck of orange to be seen, and he had even tossed his old goggles into the pile at the doorway. Now, he was wearing black cargo pants, black sandals rather than his old blue ones, a dark grey shirt with a black flak vest over it and black bands that covered his lower arms from wrist to almost the elbow. He had also somehow managed to calm his hair down enough to angle towards the back of his head which allowed more light to enter his blue eyes.

"From now on, I'm not hiding anymore. If people think they can walk all over me and come after me because they think I'm the Kyuubi and not the one holding it back, then I'm not gonna be responsible for my actions. I'll not let them treat me like a piece of dog shit they can just wipe off the bottom of their shoes. From now on, I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze."

* * *

[-]

**Hope you all enjoyed this first taste of this particuliar train of thoughts. I'll update this one as I can, but no guarantees on regularity as I start college classes in less than three weeks. Plus, I still have my three other stories that I need to keep working on.**

**And make sure to avoid flying prinnies on your way out as you leave your reviews!**

(Prinnies go flying everywhere around the stage and booms can be heard as some explode on impact.)


	2. Repitition is not Always Best

(Prinnies run rampant across the stage, fixing the damage I caused from last chapter)

**Hey there everyone, and welcome to chapter 2 of _Noodles & Ninja Wire_!**

**Now I'm rather disappointed here, looking at the stats of the first chapter. Prinny!**

(A single prinny comes up and hands me a sheet of paper)

**Out of 197 hits on the story by the time I'm writing this up, there's only 2 reviews, and one of those was anonymous! C'mon folks, it only takes a minute or two write a review, even one of those simple ones! A small review is better than nothing, because then I know whether or not I'm going in the right direction here!**

**But enough of that for now. Let's get ready to enjoy this next installment of _Noodles & Ninja Wire_.**

[---]

Since having learned of the true reasons why almost every single person in the village hated and rejected him, Naruto's outlook at the village changed seemingly instantly. While Teuchi was actually proud of how well Naruto had adapted to the truth, Ayame couldn't help but watch in awe and fear as her long-time friend stopped with the tirade he'd held up for so long.

No longer did he just hide in the alleys and shadows of Konoha: he walked freely amongst the rest of the civilians in his new attire reflecting the new attitude. The old Naruto that used to pull pranks to grab the attention of the village who wore the ugliest color known to man was gone, and in his place stood walked a Naruto who acted and behaved like a veteran shinobi whose clothing reflected his career, only pulling the meanest of pranks as a way to get revenge on those who'd done him wrong.

Indeed, many of the villagers thought his new behavior was merely another prank to agitate them until the mobs found him out at night with Teuchi and Ayame after they had just closed up the ramen stand for the night.

_One week after the incident at Tsukino's shop - _

Naruto had spent the day doing the dishes at the stand as Ayame opted to run orders between the counter and her father, thus allowing Teuchi the luxury of focusing solely on the orders of the day. Things went smoothly as none of the customers were able to see Naruto from the counter.

It was about halfway from the stand to the house when the drunks were beginning to file out of the bars, being shoved out due to their incessant behavior or their lack of money to pay their tabs for the day. It was also the time of night when the ANBU patrols were heading back into headquarters for the changing of routes and groups, thus leaving quite the opportune moment for Naruto to finally stop running from those in his own village that would do him harm.

Yells and cries for his death came from the growing mob as they came down upon the three of them. Ayame stood behind her father while Naruto faced the mob with his entire attention, frowning at their name-calling and show of intent as they pulled out various edged weapons or broke their booze bottles against something.

Teuchi attempted to pull Naruto behind him alongside his daughter, but the blonde merely shook his hand away without a second thought.

"NO Teuchi. I'm not gonna run anymore. I'm tired of this, and it's going to stop _tonight_."

"But Naruto, there's at least thirty of them. You can't expect to do this and come out unhurt!" the ramen chef said, concerned at the boy's course of reaction.

Ayame tried to get past her father to pull Naruto back. "Naruto-kun, don't! You can't let them get the better of you, it'll only cause them to come after you more if you face them!" she cried out, straining against her father's arms.

"I'll be fine; I've been prepared for something like this to happen," he said calmly, watching the amassed villagers coming closer as he reached into a vest pocket. When he pulled his hand back out, he held it up for the two people behind him to see the labels of the tabs. '**BIG BOOM SURPRISE, ****PRANKSTER-KING MODEL!**'

Both of his companions could tell that those tags had been tampered with, but they didn't have any clue as to exactly what he had done to them.

"There you are you fucking demon brat!"

_I'm not going to run anymore..._

"You're going to die for what you did to my wife!"

_I'm not going to hide anymore..._

"You stole my children from me!"

_I won't let them treat me like shit anymore! I'm not their punching bag! I'm myself, not that fucking fox!_

Teuchi watched on as the mob was a mere yard from Naruto before he made his move.

With the tags in one hand and fuses pointing out, his other hand came up in a 'thumbs-up' fashion directly under the tags' fuses. He stared he mob down as he let his frown deepen, pulling his thumb back slightly and slammed it down into the nook his fingers were making. A flame ignited from the highest knuckle of his thumb, large enough to catch the fuses and start them burning.

"I won't let you retards rule my life anymore!" he yelled out, cocking his arm back and flinging the tags into the mob's core.

Thanks to their severe inebriation, the crowd's reactions took too long to prevent them from falling victim to Naruto's tags. Upon letting them fly, he ran backwards and dragged Ayame and Teuchi by their arms and dragging them away quickly.

Upon the fuses running out and the flames catching the contents of the tags, there were explosions abound within the mob as flashes and yellow smoke quickly spread to envelop everyone within ten yards. The three of them could barely make out the yells and coughs from the mob as they took a side street to get back to the house, not wanting to be caught when the ANBU patrols set out for the next shift of duty.

Needless to say, none of the Ichiraku household were surprised two days later when Sarutobi came to their door with a look on his face that resembled one of having been hit by a skunk-level stink bomb in bed. Apparently, the people that had been hit by whatever was in the tags Naruto had set off now had slight vision problems ranging from spots in their field of vision to varying forms of temporary blindess from the flash components to having sustained some severe rashes and cases of hair either turning yellow or completely falling out from the chemicals within the yellow smoke.

"Naruto-kun, you can't go around the village using such dangerous tags on mere whims! It could easily get out of hand and really hurt someone!" the Hokage scolded. He looked the boy in the eyes, hoping to see remorse and a downtrodden young boy but he was surprised to see nothing more than a careless gaze filled with apathy staring right back at him.

"Look Ojii-san," he said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, "you know as well as anyone else about what those fuckers would have tried to do to me or even Ayame-chan and Teuchi had I just stood there or tried to run and get caught. I told you last week that I'm not going to sit idly by anymore and let the fear of being beaten up by drunks and called names by morons rule my life. I may have failed this year's graduation exam, but I'm still old enough to buy shinobi supplies. I'm going to defend myself as I see fit if and when ANBU aren't around to stop them."

"You know I can't have you running around Konoha with weapons like that, Naruto! The Civilian Council is already in an uproar, while amusingly enough, the Shinobi Council is rather intrigued by your alterations." Sarutobi steeled his gaze as he found Naruto's unfaltering will now glaring at him.

"The Civilian Council can go jump off the Hokage Monument for all I care. And I honestly don't anymore," he finished as he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out one of his tags. "If the Shinobi Council is so intrigued, go ahead and give them this one. It's an amped-down version of the tags I used on that mob, so the results they'd get from trying to copy it without my permission wouldn't be anywhere near as potent."

The old man looked blankly at the offered tag in the blonde's hand. He'd never seen someone so willing to hand over their hard work like this before. Just as he was about to say something, Naruto shoved the tag into the Hokage's hand and sat down on the couch, his gaze still stern and uncaring.

"Is there anything else you need from me or the others Ojii-san, 'cause if not I need to help with the chores," Naruto said bluntly.

"No, just please, refrain from using those tags again..." Sarutobi muttered numbly as he shuffled out of the Ichiraku house, dumbfounded at the boy he'd kept an eye on for so long. Never had he expected to ever see the passion and fire within that young boy get turned into something so... pragmatic and adamant. His attention switched from the object in his hand, to the door he'd just left and back to the tag several times before he just sighed. Without another word, the tag disappeared into a hidden pocket as the Hokage casually made his way back to the office, and the ensuing mountains of paperwork.

After that, word had spread across the entire village of the event with that mob, and Naruto could feel the tension increase everywhere he went in the village, even when he started his second attempt at the last year of the Academy. Many of the instructors were avoiding him more than ever. Students were giving him mixed reactions: some were steering clear of the 'prankster king', others scowled (apparently the people he'd gotten with those tags last month had been either their parents or favored relatives), while yet more students both openly and inwardly cheered him on.

Despite his new outlook on life and the village around him, Naruto still felt uncomfortable in the Academy without Ayame there to keep him company. Sure, they had agreed that even if she'd passed the exam that she would drop out if Naruto didn't pass. She was spending her days now helping out her father at the stand, and would come by at the end of school to meet up with him.

But that still didn't help make him feel more at ease, being a year older than the rest of his class mates on top of having to sit through the majority of the same old boring curriculum.

With a sigh, Naruto pulled open the door to the senior classroom and looked inside. The majority of the seats were taken already, leaving only a few in the back row empty. Such was to be expected though, it was nearly time for class to start and all the other students were eager to find out exactly what it was they'd be studying this year before taking their exams at the end of the year.

All eyes turned towards him as he made his way up the stairs to the back row, opting to take the chair in the farthest corner. Not caring about the gazes he was getting from the others, he took the chair and tilted it back, his head resting softly against the back wall as he put his feet up on top of his desk as he waited for Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-teme to arrive. He zoned out the whispers he could hear buzzing around the room concerning him, not bothering to acknowledge the questions that were being asked of him about the event with his tags and that mob almost a month ago.

Moments later, Iruka and Mizuki stepped through the door and looked their new class over. Immediately, Iruka locked onto Naruto and frowned. "Naruto! You know better than to tilt your chair back! Plant all four legs on the ground!"

"I'm fine Iruka-sensei, I've got my head leaning against the back wall for support. And besides, it's not like I failed last year because of my _grades_..." he trailed off, closing his eyes.

Mizuki frowned more as he heard the blonde smart back like never before. There had been moments in years past where the two would exchange friendly banter, but there was respect in those. Now, it's like Naruto didn't care anymore. '_What the hell happened to him? I convinced Iruka to make the test hard to prevent this little demon from passing so I could get him to steal the forbidden scroll, but since that day, his entire life has changed! This isn't going to bode well with my superiors..._'

Iruka sighed and rubbed his temples gently with his fingertips. '_Wow, the Hokage was right when he said Naruto's perspective on life had changed after getting the truth, but I didn't expect to see him change __**this**__ much!_'

Over the year, things went a little better than they had the year before for Naruto. Sure, he was the oldest kid in class but that didn't bother him. Neither did it bother him that Iruka was constantly frowning at Naruto's lack of effort in the class, Mizuki frowning for another reason altogether as Naruto only made real effort into his clone jutsu. Most of the students in his new class just ignored Naruto as he just ignored them, except of course for partner exercises. Only two students in the class actually went out of their way to associate with him, but it was not as if they were breaking any ties with any of their other classmates while doing so.

TenTen, the girl he'd pointed out to Ayame as being from the third-year class the day of the incident, decided that she might as well try to make at least one friend this year. She herself had never fit in with the rest of the girls in her age group mostly because of the fact that she actually had a guiding light in her aspirations to become a kunoichi, while the rest of the girls were doing it to just try and get the attention of some boys.

The only other student that bothered to even talk with Naruto was a boy who, for some odd reason, was unable to mold even the slightest bit of chakra and yet continued in his endeavor to become a ninja. Indeed, Rock Lee was about as determined to prove someone could be a ninja without chakra just as much as Naruto was going to not put up with the crap people flung at him anymore. Naturally, there was a bond that formed instantly after Naruto caught Lee training himself into the ground in the school yard after school a few weeks in.

Though both TenTen and Lee attempted to spend a good amount of time in and outside of classes with Naruto, the blonde just seemed unwilling to try and accept them. Though the rest of the students in their classes found them to be weird for trying to befriend the loser who failed the exams from the year before as Iruka hoped that the two would be able to break Naruto out of this new void.

_Time skip to Naruto's 13th Birthday - _

"Ayame-chan, Teuchi, I'm home!"

Naruto flopped his empty bag on the hallway table after closing the front door behind him. He had been surprised when he did not see Ayame waiting outside the Academy gates for him as she usually did. '_Something's gotta be wrong. Ayame-chan's never missed a day without warning me ahead of time..._'

He knew that there had to be a good reason as to why his best friend failed to meet him after school, but there must have been a _really_ good reason, so the blonde merely chalked it up to being spontaneous as he made his way to his hidden room in the basement. Originally, there wasn't a basement to the small house, but after Naruto and Ayame started at the Academy when they were eight, Teuchi found it to be a better idea to have separate rooms for them to call their own rather than a single space. Especially after catching them in the middle of 'exploring' their bodies.

Oh, how Teuchi _hated_ that memory.

Hence, why he had proceeded to close the stand the next day while the kids were at school to visit the Hokage for a favor. By the time Naruto and Ayame had gotten home that day from classes, they were greeted by the smiling adults at the front door. Just as Naruto was about to put his stuff in the room the two children shared, he yelled out about the lack of his bed and his other meager possessions. That was when Teuchi grabbed him by the shoulders, led him to the end of the hallway and told him to tap his foot three times on the floor.

Naruto looked quizzically at Teuchi and then at Sarutobi, but then did as instructed. With a light three taps of his foot, there was a glow from the floor in front of him about three feet wide by five feet long, which faded away to a staircase that led down into the earth. Naruto took tentative steps down the steps as they went down and around a corner. The blonde came upon a large room-like cavern with his possessions and even more.

"Naruto, now that you've started classes, I felt it was time for you to have your own space in the house. You now have your own space, and you get your privacy!"

He looked around the large room and took it in as best he could. There was his bed, across the room and in the corner. In the other corner was a new dresser that stood as tall as him, five drawers in total made from a dark wood. Close to him in the corner to his right sat a small simple desk with a similarly simple chair, as a bookcase larger than Naruto sat in the corner to his left. In the middle of the room sat a small, two-person couch not far from the right-hand wall with a low table a foot in front of it. Across the table from the couch was a door, which Naruto could only guess was a closet. When he opened it up, there was another room, one side with shelves in the wall as the opposite had cubby holes, both going back into the earth by about two feet. Across from the door was a row of hooks spaced ten inches apart, and down at floor level was a small rise, apparently for him to place his shoes.

With a hesitant smile, the blonde thanked Teuchi and Sarutobi, inwardly crying as Ayame herself was about to cry. She had come to depend on Naruto more than she'd ever let on, and despite Naruto almost being the son her father never got to have, Ayame knew that her father would never allow them to sleep in the same room on purpose anymore.

Naruto was hesitant to accept, not liking that he was sleeping so far from the only kid his age he knew. Over the years, they had been there for each other, Ayame acting somewhat like a security blanket for him while they slept, and he in return acted the same for her.

Since that day, Naruto would sometimes sneak into Ayame's room or she'd _coincidentally_ fall asleep down on his small couch from long study-filled nights when she was in the Academy, but they'd agreed to _try_ and spend less nights in each other's company for the time being, since Ayame couldn't get away with the study excuse and Naruto didn't want to press his luck any farther.

His mind reflected back over the years as he tapped his foot and made his way down to his room, not noticing the figures hiding in the darkened corners of the house. Nor did he notice a shadowy figure following behind him silently just out of his sight as his feet led him to his bed after throwing his sandals inside his closet. The blonde flopped onto his side, facing the wall as he let his thought meander in the silence while waiting for the others to return home.

The figure that had been right behind looked back to the entrance to the hidden room and nodded it's head at the other figures behind it, getting similar nods from the others. Silently, the figure crept towards Naruto's bed, the boy still having his back turned to it.

"Naruto-kun! I'm home!"

The figures in the room suddenly disappeared in a burst of magenta smoke as Ayame's voice called out her return home.

"Down here!" he called back, not wanting to get up from his comfortable position. He apparently failed to notice the figures that had been in the room or even the hiss of moke when they mysteriously vanished.

He could however hear his friend's foot falls softly echoing down the staircase to his room as she made her way to greet him. "Hey ther! How was school?"

"Meh. Same as always. TenTen and Lee trying to get me to eat lunch with them, the rest of the class whispering shit, Iruka yelling at me, Mizuki frowning, and that prick Neji keeps staring as always for some reason," he answered back. There was a slight movement on his bed as Ayame sat next to him on the mattress. "So where were you today? You've always given me a heads-up when you aren't gonna be at the Academy gates," he asked as he rolled onto his back. His blue eyes looked directly into her hazel ones, causing the girl to blush slightly as she gave a soft smile in return.

"Then it seems you've forgotten today's your birthday!" she said as she poked him in the chest gently. "I had to go and pick up your gift, so I'm sorry I didn't meet you this afternoon," she apologized.

"It's okay," he said as he took her hand in his. "So, I take it your dad's still at the stand?"

"Yeah, Dad's gonna be closing early tonight though. Doesn't like feeding the villagers on your birthday." She looked at him with a soft smile as she gripped his hand gently. "I really hope you pass the exam this year, Naruto-kun."

"You and me both Ayame-chan," he responded. "But I don't know how I'm going to pass that damned clone jutsu section. I still get it wrong most of the time, and the teachers are essentially refusing to help me; they're too focused on Neji's _Byakugan_ and figuring out how to get him out of the Academy despite his lack of any sizable chakra reserves."

Ayame merely shook her head. It still shocked her that the teachers were so determined to help out the other students who actually had worse grades but better skills than Naruto when he actually did fairly well considering the circumstances. The Hokage said there was nothing he could do about the Academy, as it had been removed from his hands by the Civilian Council during the short period of time between the death of the Yondaime and his return to office.

"Here, scoot over," she said as she nudged him in the stomach.

"Nyah," he let out as he scootched over towards the wall, not bothering to argue. He rather enjoyed laying down with her, as long as her father was not home to find them. Just before he settled back onto the bed Ayame plopped down onto the bed next to him and curled up next to him, her left arm crossing over his stomach as her right arm snaked under his back. Her head found its place in the crook of his armpit as her legs came up next to his; the only thing he did in response was to wrap his left arm over her and rub her back softly. The brunette let out a sigh as she relaxed, then started to make random designs with a finger on his stomach.

Both kids laid there in that position uninterrupted for a long time, enjoying the rhythm of the other's breathing or heartbeat.

Suddenly, a glyph on the ceiling over Naruto's head activated and two more dull glyphs appeared to its right.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, shooting up and causing Ayame to roll off the bed.

He glanced at the clock he'd gotten a long time ago hanging on the wall and noticed the time.

"Shit, Teuchi's home!" Naruto said as he straightened his clones once the second glyph went off. Ayame hurriedly got up and dusted herself off as she took a seat on the couch, Naruto getting back onto his bed after straightening out his covers.

"Naruto, Ayame! I'm home!" Teuchi called from the front door. He glanced at the end of the hall and noticed a red glyph glowing on the wall. '_Looks like she's down there with him. At least they're both home, not out and about tonight. Don't want either of them getting involved with the villagers, seeing as what today means to the village..._'

He set his shoes by the table where Naruto's bag was and made his way downstairs to find the two children just enjoying the other's company albeit physically apart. "Hey you two, how were your days?" he asked as he took the other spot on the couch.

"Meh," Naruto said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "Same old crap, different day. You know how it's been."

Teuchi turned his gaze to his daughter as Naruto dropped his arm back to his side next to him on the bed. "So what about you Ayame-chan? Did you do much today, since you weren't at the stand?"

"Someone had to get everything for tonight," Ayame responded with a smile. "Since Naruto's still in the Academy and you were in the stand, I was the only one who had any time to get the things for tonight's dinner."

Naruto's body shot up at the mention of dinner. "Is it-"

Ayame and Teuchi smiled broadly back at Naruto and the girl cut him off in mid-sentence with her response. "Yes, it's your favorite tonight: our family-secret, the _ultimate ramen bowl_."

_Not too long afterwards - _

An hour later and the three were sitting at the dining table with a very antsy Naruto, something that Teuchi had not seen in a long time since the incident after his run-in with the chunin duo. It made the ramen chef smile broadly as he added the last unlabled spice to the enormous pot in the middle of the table, giving it a last stir and sniffing it gently. With a loud sigh of contentment, he closed his eyes and grabbed the ladle. "Alright, dinner's ready!"

Naruto did the best he could to wait for Teuchi to serve him his meal rather than diving into the pot for himself. Ever since he first started living with the two, they'd always made this particular dish for special occasions. Those were mostly birthdays and the annual New Year's Eve party they'd share with the Hokage.

Ayame stifled a giggle as she watched Naruto dive upon his food as soon as Teuchi's hand let go of the largest serving bowl in the house, barely remembering to use his chopsticks in favor of just drinking the contents of the bowl straight. '_Oh Naruto-kun, such a little kid at times that it almost seems like your new self is just a mask..._'

The sounds of slurping, chopsticks against enamel, and the grunts of pleasantness were the only sounds certifying the life within the house as the three of them emptied the pot of its delectable contents.

The food did not last long between them, and soon they were each sitting back in their chairs with the lid back on the pot, upside down with bowls inside it and the used utensils sitting inside the lid to be cleaned later that night.

There was a deafening _crash_ that broke the silence amongst them as Naruto was leaning too far back in his chair while rubbing his stomach. Teuchi let out a loud laugh as Ayame peered over the side of the table at him with a smile on her face, noticing that he was rubbing his stomach with both hands while laying on his back.

"Terrific as always, Teuchi," he let out, followed by a loud belch. "Don't think I can get up now though..."

Ayame giggled as she poked his stomach with enough force that caused Naruto to release a large belch that echoed nicely through the dining room. Teuchi chuckled before responding. "Then I guess you don't want to see what we got you this year eh?"

The brunette shrieked in surprise as Naruto shot up from his fallen chair and started refuting the man's insinuation, only causing Ayame to laugh at him more. "No way, I'm not gonna fall for that _again_!" he shot back without hesitation.

Teuchi smiled as he reached under the table and pulled out a package wrapped in orange paper with a black bow on it, Ayame pulling out a smaller box with black paper and an orange bow. "Happy birthday, Naruto-kun!" they said in unison. He gave them each a genuine smile when they handed the boxes to him before neatly slicing off the paper with a kunai.

The package that Teuchi gave him contained a long black vest with orange pin-striping on the shoulders, and he noticed burgundy striping creating an outline of the whirlpool that Naruto always wound up getting on his old clothes. Turning it back over, he noticed a number of disguised pocket flaps melding in with the vest, only visible by the slight bulges the edges made against the rest of the pristine fabric surface. The interior was a dark charcoal bordering on black, a single pocket on each side of the front of the vest.

"This is so cool Teuchi!" he said. The blonde wasted no time in wriggling off his jacket and trying on the new vest, flexing his shoulders and wiggling inside to get a proper feel for its' limits.

"You're very welcome Naruto," the ramen chef replied. "I've been working with both the Hokage and a tailor whom specializes in compact ninja attire. Thankfully, the tailor's one of the few people in the civilian population that came to the village after the Kyuubi Incident."

Inwardly Naruto cursed the demon fox with his hand rubbing his stomach absentmindedly. Naruto didn't have long to contemplate his tenant before Ayame smacked him with the other gift he received. "Sorry, it just..."

"Don't worry about it Naruto-kun, and just open my gift!" she said with a bright smile.

Giving her a small smile in return, Naruto removed the wrapping off the box and opened it. Inside the cardboard box sat a pair of scrolls with different labels. One said _storage_ while the other said _supplies_, both having burnt red trim on the ends of the scrolls. He picked up the scrolls and dropped the box to the floor. The look on his face told her '_What the hell are these for?_'.

"They're for when you go out and about all day; you'll be able to use the first one to pack away your training gear or anything else you may want to take with you, and you can stow any food or other stuff that isn't shinobi equipment in the other. That way you can avoid having to lug a giant backpack around when you leave, especially nifty and convenient for when you finally get your hitai-ite and go out on missions," she answered. "I picked those up from your classmate TenTen's shop. They actually fit perfectly in the interior pockets of your vest."

Naruto reached in and placed the scrolls one at a time in either pocket, finding that they truly did fit easily enough with sufficient room to pull them out just as smoothly."This is going to make things a lot easier for me; the vest seems to fit just fine but I can tell it's got more than enough room for growth, and I think I've seen these scrolls on the shelves of other shops, under 'high-capacity ANBU-level'. Thanks a lot you guys."

The blonde demon container moved over and in turn gave each of his house-mates a big hug and thank-you, unknowingly being watched from the window by a pair of ruby eyes peering through a crack in the window.

'_So this is where you've been, Kyuubi... He's going to be very intrigued to find out the circumstances of your disappearence...'_

[---]

"Naruto!"

"Hey, this prank isn't my fault this time!" Naruto shot back from the back row of the classroom.

Mizuki frowned deeply, causing many of the students in the classroom to lose control of their laughter. After all, how can you not help but laugh at a man who stands over you every day like he's 'King Shit' and suddenly he comes in one day with an inexplicably lime-green face? "Like hell you didn't do this one! Who else would have been able to do this to me?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and tossed his hands up in defeat. "I don't know, maybe someone wanting to take over my title or that wants me in trouble? I stopped doing those kinds of pranks after that incident in the equipment shop last year, you know that damn well," he responded, narrowing his eyes during the last statement.

Mizuki stormed up the stairs between rows of desks to the back and walked over to the blonde. "I'm going to make you confess, any way I can! We're going to the Discipline Room, NOW!" he roared, grabbing Naruto by the scruff of his vest.

"Let go of me you fucker!" he yelled, struggling against the chunin's grip as best he could, trying to latch onto the passing desks as Mizuki pulled him forcably down the stairway behind him."Let go of my vest you damned idiot, I didn't prank you for shit's sake!"

"BULLSHIT UZUMAKI!" the silver-haired adult responded.

As Mizuki struggled to extract Naruto from the class and Naruto struggling to keep hold of the open door frame on either side, TenTen and Lee each exchanged glances. Both were worried, and they were admittedly not the only ones. Over the year, a few of their classmates had started to realize that their oldest classmate was nothing like what their parents had told them about, and certainly nothing resembling what they'd heard about in the few years before this class. None of the other students would openly come out and say it, but over half the class was in one way or another keeping an eye out for Naruto to help him on the down-low.

"Mizuki, that's ENOUGH!" came a loud voice. The assistant teacher froze immediately, the students stared wide-eyed at the owner of the voice, and Naruto fell face-first onto the floor as the force holding his lower body up had given way.

"L-lord Hokage, I can explain-" he stammered out as his body went upright and rigid.

"Ow..." Naruto groaned as he picked himself up from the doorway. "For fuck's sake, I better not get any bruises..." The blonde stood up slowly, dusting himself off before directing his attention to Sarutobi. "Hey there."

Ignoring Naruto for the moment, the old shinobi leader honed his gaze on Mizuki. "You have thirty seconds to explain why you were attempting to remove a student from the class environment without the permission of the supervising teacher or other administrative personnel beforehand? Behaving in this manner has disrupted the learning of these students and that of of the neighboring classrooms, and will not be tolerated without a _damn_ good excuse." The wizened man did not falter in his 'Glare of Ultimate Doom' fixated on the man in front of of him.

The chunin paled at the tone as he could almost _taste_ the venom in the tone coming from the man who could have him killed at any time for doing even the smallest thing out of line. "Th-this morning sir, I we-went to get ready for the day and didn't re-realize it until some of the other instruc-instructors started to laugh. It turns out that _someone_," pointing at Naruto with his other hand, "switched my bottle of face-cleanser with green pottery paint."

"And so you presumed that Naruto did this act?" the Hokage asked, an eyebrow raising slightly as Naruto just stood there with a hand over his mouth to hide a yawn.

"He's the _only_ person in this village who would even attempt to prank a ninja and get away with it! Who else is there?" Mizuki said.

The old man looked between the scared-shitless chunin and the bored Academy student, disregarding the students murmuring in the classroom on the other side of the wall to his left.

Silence broke throughout the entire floor of the building as the tightening suspense enveloped everyone despite their involvment or lack thereof in the current confrontation. Minutes went by without anyone doing anything, some students in Naruto's classroom almost passed out due to forgetting to breathe before Sarutobi finally spoke again.

"Mizuki, you will report to my office after the end of school hours for official re-assignment. Until further notice, you will be the chaperon for a liaison between Konoha and Suna, whom will be attending classes next year. I will speak more in-depth about this duty in my office." He switched briefly to Naruto before returning to Mizuki, adding, "Until then, you are relieved of your duties here and are to report to Maito Gai for preliminary disciplinary action." Mizuki's face couldn't show that his blood stopped flowing altogether, but his hands went whiter than white at the mere mention of this particular name. He was unable to respond as the Hokage looked at Naruto as he spoke once more. "I know for a _fact_ that Naruto was not the person that pulled this prank on you for the very reason that this morning he saved my grandson from the wrath of our emissary from Suna when Konohamaru attempted a prank of his own on me in public."

"Yeah, little booger would have been sent flying by that chick's fan if I hadn't covered his ass," Naruto said offhandedly as he shoved his little finger in his ear, wiggled it around a bit and examined the earwax on the tip of it. With a flick of the digit, the offending material landed squarely in Mizuki's gaping maw right on his tongue. "Can I go back to my seat now, Hokage-sama?"

The silver-haired chunin closed and opened his mouth like a goldfish for several seconds in an attempt to rebuke what the old man said but was unsuccessful as Sarutobi nodded at the blonde. Naruto inclined his head slightly as he made his way back to his seat in the rear of the room, leaving Mizuki to continue his impression of a fish out of water. Something he essentially was now. '_Maito... Gai? FUCK!_'

The activities of the classrooms around the floor of the building started up again as the tension faded from the air, allowing the occupants to breathe easily once more. Naruto simply pulled out the scroll labeled _supplies_ from inside his vest, pulled out a set of his kunai along with a whet stone, and put the scroll back away. As Iruka appeared from a puff a smoke, the Hokage stood next to the door and gestured for someone outside the room to enter.

"Everyone," Sarutobi said when he took the spot next to Iruka's desk, the scarred chunin standing behind it, "I would like to introduce an important person whom will be joining the Academy next year for the graduation exam. Allow me to introduce," he said as he nodded to the girl in the doorway, whom took a stand on the other side of the Hokage, "the daughter of the Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sands."

The girl, blonde hair with her medium-length bangs and odd four ponytails, stood with a refined posture that gave off the aura of dignity which her strange outfit stated she otherwise had. She was wearing a full-body mesh under a white mini-skirt and white top whose straps went around her upper arms rather than over her shoulders. She wore the classic black sandals while a large battle-fan was strapped to her back via a wide leather belt across her waist. She wore a smile that most of the students in the room accepted as authentic, but Naruto recognized that expression as the one he used to wear all the time before last year's revelation.

'_She seems to be in the same kind of boat as me... Hope her life isn't as fucked up as mine was though; she seems fine enough from here but then again..._' he thought to himself, all the while sharpening his kunai as quietly as possible.

"Hello everyone, my name is Subaku no Temari, first born daughter to the Great Wind Shadow of the Land of Wind. I look forward to getting to know more about your village and strengthen the ties between it and my home," she said with a deep respectful bow.

Iruka looked at the Hokage and then at Temari. "I'm sure you'll have no problem fitting in, Temari. From what I have read of your future class mates, you should get along just fine with them."

"Indeed; that's actually the next class room we shall be visiting," Sarutobi said. He lifted the pipe from his mouth and examined it a moment before replacing it as he continued. "I've been showing her around the village the last few days, and today has been spent introducing her to the various classes here in the Academy. After that, she will be free to do what she will between next week's graduation exams and the start of classes next year. Until next week, she will be with the students you'll be having next year Iruka, getting to know them and see how classes vary from the education system in Sunagakure."

"Shall we be going now, Hokage-sama? I'm sure that Iruka-sensei is wishing to get back to teaching this year's genin-hopefuls their last few lessons in preparation for next week's exams," Temari suggested, facing the adults around the largest piece of furniture in the class.

"Of course." Sarutobi inclined his head to Iruka and then the rest of the class, then proceeded out the door with Temari silently following behind him. The last thing she did before stepping foot into the hall was to cast a quick glimpse at the back row directly towards Naruto, catching his gaze briefly. Before leaving, she broke their eye contact with a smirk and a wink, causing the rest of the class to be in awe and shock.

The class was dead silent after Temari shut the door behind her quietly, soon broken first by the murmurs spreading amongst the students. Mostly, it was the male students talking between themselves.

"Dude, why did she look at _him_?"

"I'm so much better than that idiot!"

"I bet you she's just making fun of him..."

"Chances are she was looking at the guy _in front_ of Uzumaki rather than him."

"I dunno man, the only other guy in the back row is Bushy Brows..."

"...And the guy in front of Naruto is that Akimichi kid, you know, the one whose the cousin to the younger heir?"

The low voices were cut short as Iruka's voice cut in sharply. "Alright students, that's enough. We have a lot of material to go over in order for you all to be ready for the exams next week."

He pulled out a stack of papers from an upper drawer of his desk and started handing them out, the students groaning as he explained what was going to be expected of them.

[---]

"Alright everyone, let's head out to the courtyard so you can perform the taijutsu and throwing portions of the exams," Iruka explained. He stood by the door to the hallway and collected their written exam papers as they left, following their replacement assistant teacher out the building.

"Naruto, I hope you scored better this year than you did last year," Iruka commented as he took the blonde's paper.

"Better have after all the fucking work I've done to improve this year..." Naruto responded darkly. '_Ayame-chan's been helping me SO FUCKING MUCH this year in my book work, it better pay off this time around..._'

Minutes later, the entire class was assembled in the courtyard on the far side of the building. A large ring sat in the middle of it, every ten feet a practice dummy on the edge of it as a smaller ring with grass in the middle. In total, there were fifteen dummies as the inner ring seemed to be about twenty feet in diameter, the grass being a stark contrast to the dirt separating the sparring and target layers. To the surprise of the students, there were a number of people standing on the small stage against the far wall of the courtyard, most being the parents of the graduates being examined for genin. Others on the platform included the Hokage, the emissary Temari, and a few shinobi that appeared to be of jonin-rank, as well as a certain punished chunin standing behind Temari.

"Welcome students, I'm going to proctor the remaining segments of your graduation exam this year," Sarutobi said as he stepped to the front edge of the platform. "While Iruka is grading your written exams, I will be judging you based on the skills you should have in your thrown weapons, your close-quarters combat technique, basic illusions, and standard styles of ninjutsu."

Amongst the small crowd assembled before them, Naruto immediately spotted Teuchi and Ayame, two people he could only surmise were of the divided Hyuuga clan, the head of the Akimichi clan and TenTen's father (only because Naruto and Ayame found that only his shop would be willing to do business with him at this point). There were others he could probably guess, but he didn't want to distract himself at this point.

The Great Fire Shadow explained the remaining parts to the graduation exam, and thus started the calling out of the names. One by one, the students performed the tasks laid down: with as few kunai or shuriken as possible, land a minimum of at least two solid hits on each target on the outer ring from the center of the spar zone, perform a demonstration of the Academy taijutsu-standard in a shadow-boxing setting, perform the clone jutsu at least three times, transform into someone nearby, and to perform the substitution with the person they transformed into. If they failed two or more of the fields of combat skills, they had to get an average of four out of five questions right in order to pass the graduation exam.

The time passed as each student went through their drills, each one doing their best attempt to pass the finals. Many failed the target practice segment after twenty minutes and only getting a third of the required goal at best, some having issues with the shadow-boxing, while most everyone passed the remaining portions with minimal difficulty. Then it was left to Lee, TenTen and Naruto, the three going in that order.

Lee pulled out his shuriken with a slight shake in his wrist, Ten-Ten biting her lip in anticipation. She knew that his aim with weapons was almost as bad as his ninjutsu and genjutsu so she had been working with him. She only hoped that he could at least pass this segment so that he could stand a chance with his written scores.

With a deep breathe, Lee bowed first to the Hokage and then to the assistant teacher before getting the signal to start. Raising his arm, Lee took his time before proceeding to throw. Within a minute and the use of three dozen shuriken, Lee managed to get two hits on the majority of each dummy, the last dummy actually having three shuriken embedded in the center.

The assistant pushed up the glasses further on the bridge of his nose before writing down his score on the clipboard he held in his hands. "Good Lee, you passed with a surprising score. You may move onto the taijutsu evaluation at your leisure." The silver-haired genin looked around the crowd briefly before focusing back on the boy in the sparring zone. '_Lord Orochimaru will be disappointed in this year's report... Shame really, only a few of them are looking to be anything remotely fruitful as shinobi. Maybe next year's batch will prove more bountiful, considering they have the lone Uchiha graduating..._'

With another bow to both the Hokage and the assistant, Lee wasted no time in performing his taijutsu drills. What really made him stand out from the rest of the class was that, unlike the rest of his classmates who didn't come from a prestigious clan, his taijutsu was very refined. He performed each move with strength and ease, precise in each swing and jab, the kicks and movements exact without waste. Just as everyone thought he was done, Lee proceeded to perform more intense styles. It got to the point that the Hokage actually had to interrupt him.

"Lee, that is very impressive; thank you for your demonstration of your... _extensive_ knowledge around taijutsu. You may now perform your genjutsu and ninjutsu evaluations."

"Lord Hokage, I would like to formally request that I forgo the remaining portions to the graduation exam," he asked in a snap-to state of voice.

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at this. "Are you sure? If you do, you receive an immediate failing grade on them. That would leave you to rely on your written exam to pass you."

"I am confident in the answers I gave on my written test enough that I would rather not embarrass myself in showing my lack of being able to use chakra," Lee responded darkly.

"If you so wish, then you may do that." The Hokage nodded to the assistant. "Go ahead and put down the grades for Lee, Kabuto."

The genin nodded his head and looked at the next name on the list as his hand wrote down the scores for Lee subconsciously. "TenTen, you are next on the list. After that, we come to Uzumaki Naruto to finish up this year's graduation exam."

The bun-bearing girl pulled out a single kunai and shuriken, one in each hand as she walked to the center of the ring. Bowing to the two proctors, she wasted no time in starting her target practice. What caught most of the non-combat trained bystanders off guard was that she wasn't pulling out more equipment. What they didn't notice was that the shuriken and kunai she _had_ pulled out were tied via wire from the tool to both her index fingers. In a matter of moments, there were very obvious traces that she had indeed landed two blows on each of the target dummies with her two weapons, the kunai signified by a large hole being visible as a big gash sat either above or below the hole to illustrate the shuriken's impact.

Many of her classmates knew she was good, but still were captivated by her display. Her father smirked with pride, the jonin standing on the platform clapping noticeably for her expert use of equipment. One in particular could be seen rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his eyes gleamed with delight.

At the signal, she stowed her tools and performed the drills as best she could, still slightly winded from her performance with the ninja wire. TenTen may have been able to work the equipment to her will, but even with so few at once that skill still took a lot of her concentration and energy to be accurate. This was obvious when she made some large mistakes in the taijutsu demonstration, causing her to fail that portion of the exam.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, TenTen performed the clone jutsu as required. Each one seemed to have slightly different outfit to differentiate them from the original Without a word, she pointed at Lee and performed the transformation jutsu followed quickly by the substitution. Her disguise lasted just long enough for Sarutobi to give her the signal that she passed.

The brunette smiled weakly as she made her way over to her father. She, just like everyone else turned to watch as Naruto made his way to the center of the sparring zone. Calmly, he pulled out his equipment scroll and called forth his kunai . He received the signal from the old leader.

'_Gotta make this count; knowing my luck, I failed the written exam so that puts me on a very thin line. I can't afford to fail again, not after all the work Ayame-chan put into helping me study the books..._'

Holding his weapons in the controlled grip he knew to work best for him, Naruto tok careful aim with each kunai. Like most of his classmates, the blonde didn't have the response time to throw multiple weapons in succession without thinking. Unlike the majority of his fellow classmates though, he managed to only miss a couple of targets once which brought his total of weapons used to thirty-three.

'_One down, four more to go..._'

At the signal, Naruto performed the standard Academy movements easily enough, his body running through the drills as easily as a chunin ran through chakra control exercises on walls. There were noticeable flaws in his techniques that most of his classmates snickered at, but the seasoned shinobi on the platform recognized that he wasn't making mistakes rather that he was _adapting_ the standard style for his own use; while unorthodox in someone as young as Naruto, it was a noteworthy merit. Most ninja didn't learn another form of taijutsu until they were granted chunin status, they were designated specialists or had clan styles to master; for someone with no specialization nor clan-status to be making such a discovery as to make the form work for him rather than train his body to the taijutsu was very uncommon.

'_This one seems to be more adaptable than the others, given his circumstances. Orochimaru-sama will be interested in this one..._'

'_Good job so far, Naruto-kun!_'

'_Hmmm... Naruto has improved a lot since he failed last year... Wonder if he's been spying on any of the older teams during their morning routines since then..._'

'_Wow, he's good... He seems to know what he's doing. Too bad he's going to be graduating this year..._'

'_Interesting... The Kyuubi's container is advancing faster than a normal student should be. I wonder if it's by personal development or perhaps the demon has awoken and started to influence his education..._'

"Very impressive Naruto, you pass the taijutsu portion of the exam." Sarutobi looked at the new arrival of Iruka, test papers in hand with his own eyes still on Naruto. Turning back to the last student, he gave the signal to commence with the final three portions of the graduation exam.

Taking a deep breathe, Naruto focused his mind on the task at hand. Despite their combined efforts, Naruto was still having trouble with the clone jutsu. He was able to make a decent-enough clone, but he just couldn't get it down right. Rather than worry himself into overstepping the timer, Naruto overstepped the order of sections and moved onto the transformation jutsu.

Gazing over the crowd for a moment, his gaze fixed on Ayame's worried face. He pointed directly at her, and with the call of "Transformation Jutsu!", turned into an exact copy of her. Without another word, there were two puffs of smoke as he performed the substitution, switching places with his friend. Problem was, he lost his focus when someone dropped their kunai pouch, causing him to lose control of the jutsu. Before he knew it, Naruto was face-first in Temari's four ponytails, leaving Mizuki standing in the center of the sparring zone.

Before anyone could react, Mizuki swapped places with Naruto again. Luckily, Temari did not notice (or rather, otherwise outwardly ignored) the fact that something had rubbed against her ass during the altercation.

'_Oh you naughty boy..._' she thought to herself, fantasizing about just _what_ it had been that rubbed up against her for that brief moment.

'_Oh fuck, I hope Ayame-chan didn't see that..._' Naruto thought quickly to himself, quickly disguising a popping of his knuckles as an excuse to get the feeling of Temari's firm rump out of his mind.

The time had come, and Naruto knew that it was inevitable at this point. He botched the substitution jutsu, and he knew that he was going to be fucking up the clone jutsu. He was at least going to attempt the clone jutsu instead of giving up. Who knows, maybe he might actually be able to do it this time around?

One minute, three puffs of smoke, and several sighs and a lot of gasps later, Naruto was hanging his head in defeat at the three pale and dismembered excuses of clones he had just created.

'_Fuck..._'

'_Well, it _technically_ is better than what he did later year..._'

With a kick, he dispelled the illusions and looked at the Hokage, hope in his eyes.

Understanding the unspoken request, Sarutobi coughed. "Alright everyone, if you would please stand in a single line across the front of the platform on the grass, Iruka will be calling out the names of those that passed this year's Genin Selection Exam."

Kabuto brought the scarred chunin his clipboard with the recorded scores of the practical skills. Within a few minutes, Iruka handed the written tests to Kabuto and looked over the students gathered before him. There stood twenty-four hopefuls, but hardly of them had passed this year.

"I am now going to call out the names of those who have passed this year's graduation exam. After I have read off these names, would each of you please go on stage and receive your headband from Hokage-sama."

Each of the students held their breath in anticipation, many unsure if they were going to succeed or fail.

"Hyuuga Neji, TenTen, Rock Lee, Akimichi Sorin, Gouza Sora, and Chikaru Eimi; would you six please advance and accept your Konohagakure hitai-ite."

Without a noise, the six students took five stepped from the rest of their class and stood before Iruka, tall and proud as they could with everyone looking at them with a wide array of emotions hanging in the air. Each of them quietly took their headband and affixed it to their forehead as those around gave them a round of applause, even Naruto gave a small amount of half-hearted congratulations to those that passed the exam this year.

"The six of you will need to report to my office tomorrow morning at eight o'clock for your genin squad assignments and corresponding jonin instructor appointment," the Hokage said with a puff from his freshly lit pipe. "The rest of you whom were unable to succeed this year are to meet with Iruka tomorrow and privately discuss your options of either moving on to vocational apprenticeship or another year at the Academy to attempt the graduation exam again next year."

"You already know my answer," Naruto said coldly. He put away the last kunai from his set, which he'd been subconsciously fidgeting with since he took his position at the end of the line nearest the southern courtyard wall. Without another word, the blonde took his leave of the assemblage.

Ayame watched him go as a depressed aura enveloped her. She knew that it hurt Naruto so much to be unable to perform the most simple of jutsu, and the fact that his written score wasn't high enough to compensate for his substitution and clone jutsu also hurt her. They had sometimes gone all day without contact with the outside world in their endeavor to get Naruto to understand and remember the material covered over the last year in the Academy, more than once even forgetting to eat or relieve themselves. Her father would often have to drag them out of Naruto's room at some point in the evening to get them to eat they became so engrossed in the studying. At one point, Teuchi even hid their stockpiles of scrolls and materials for a week in order for them to recuperate from the exhaustion they put themselves through.

The brunette took one look at her father, wordlessly informing him she was off to follow their long-term house guest. Getting the go-ahead nod from the ramen chef, Ayame wasted no time in pursuing Naruto, hoping that she could do at least something to ease his depression.

Four pairs of eyes were all that paid attention to Naruto's departure aside from his house-mates. Sarutobi sighed with remorse at Naruto's second failed attempt. '_I'm sorry Minato, but even being your son won't allow him to bypass this test... He needs to overcome this hurdle if he's going to survive, and he needs to find his own way to do it without being given the answers freely..._'

Kabuto pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose with his brain working a mile a minute. '_Intriguing... He doesn't realize his biggest flaw with the simple jutsu is that of just that he's putting far too much energy into them. Doesn't help that he has the chakra stores of a combat-experienced jonin with the control of a mere child either..._'

"_Strange how he's unable to do such a simple technique and botch a minor technique but adapt taijutsu forms to fit him... And he's not that stupid either; I could see he almost passed the written test with only two wrong answers more than allowed..._' Temari thought to herself, keeping an indifferent facade on her face as the students went on their own ways with their family members. She felt Mizuki's hand brush her shoulder slightly. Nodding her head silently, Temari followed the silver-haired chunin as they took their leave of the ceremony.

A pair of ruby eyes shone slightly from the shadowed limbs of the trees overhanging the courtyard wall behind the platform, a small dark figure sat idly. It leaned back against the trunk of the tree with arms crossing over its chest, legs dangling on either side of the thin branch. '_You're really fucking this kid up, Kyuubi... How long are you going to be messing around before you take this situation seriously...?_"

[---]

"Hey Ayame-chan."

"Hey Naruto-kun..." the brunette responded, taking the seat next to Naruto atop the head of the Fourth Hokage on the Hokage Monument. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye briefly before fully gazing at the darkening horizon before them. She brought her legs up with her knees close to her chin, her arms wrapping around them to keep her balance. "One last try?" she asked after a while, the silence becoming too much for her to handle given the circumstances.

Naruto looked at her from the corner of the eye as she had to him but did not respond immediately. He focused again in front of him and watched as the clouds floated in the sky as the sun cast its light over the last of the trees while moving lower over the boundary between earth and sky. "Yeah, one last go before I don't know what to do anymore..."

The two of them sat there, Naruto with legs crossed in front of him as Ayame sat not far with her legs still held to her chest. It seemed to take forever for the ball of light to fall finally behind the tree line, the only thing left being the light bouncing down from the clouds high above. Ayame shivered slightly as a cold wind blew past them. She looked up as she felt something being placed over her shoulders to see Naruto placing his older jacket on top of her, one of his scrolls open on the ground.

"You need this more than it needs to be stowed right now," he said lightly. He moved over to his scroll and gently picked it up off the ground. Tucking it back inside his vest, Naruto sat down right next to Ayame. "...You know, I was trying my best this time. I swore that I should have gotten the written exam this time around."

"I know; I swear my dad was this close to using our history scrolls as kindling that one time we lost power due to that wind storm a few months back and we were studying using that igniter jutsu the Hokage showed us," she said with a weak smile. Another cold breeze blew past them, making Ayame involuntarily scoot towards Naruto.

Naruto noticed the blush on her cheeks as she leaned into his side for warmth while attempting to hide his own small complexion issue. Without a word, he slipped his left arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, an "eep!" barely coming out of her mouth. The girl hid her face in the material of the jacket as best she could, hoping that Naruto couldn't see anything below her eyes if he looked directly at her face right now.

The two of them sat there in silent admiration of the dying colors, watching the tree limbs sway in the passing winds around the village as the clouds overhead floated by without a single care. Both were content to bask in the last light of day and forget everything that had happened that day, and would gladly let their minds float high amongst the clouds.

Neither of them noticed the arrival of Teuchi until he sat down on the other side of Ayame and leaned forward with his hands supporting his head, gazing towards the last of the russet and orange fading from the clouds on the horizon.

"So one more attempt Naruto?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, one more shot; if it doesn't work out, then I'll just learn to make ramen like you and one day take the stand over." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Though, if that happens I'll need to move the location; no one would buy ramen from me here, so I would have to find a place outside the country where no one knows my secret."

Ayame snuggled up next to him and sighed contentedly. "Would life really be so bad if you didn't become a ninja, but rather a regular person? No one after you for what lies in the past and only having to cook ramen?" she asked softly.

"She has a point," Teuchi added. "Being a ramen chef with your own stand, you only would need worry about paying bills and keeping ingredients stocked." With a slight smirk on the other side of his face from the kids' view he went on, "And so you wouldn't have to hire any other people to work for you, you can even marry Ayame so she can continue to work the counter; you then could have a kid or two to do the dishes!"

Ayame squeaked audibly and plunged the rest of her head under the cover of Naruto's jacket, a nervous chuckle coming from Naruto as a deep blush covered his cheeks at the possibility.

"You sure you want me to marry Ayame-chan? I'm sure she could do better than a guy who wasn't able to pass the Genin Selection Exam three times," Naruto quipped a moment later.

Teuchi laughed and shook his head lightly. "No, I'm sure. You two have been together for so long, and I know you don't act like siblings would. Even though I wanted the two of you to behave and grow up like you were brother and sister, I knew deep down that there was little chance of that happening."

"This isn't happening!" Ayame said in an embarrassed voice, muffled by the material of Naruto's jacket.

"Besides, the two of you look cute together right now; I just hope that things remain remotely calm," Teuchi added. "But for now," he started as he stood from the ground, "we need to get home and eat dinner. After that, we can relax the rest of the night, and start tomorrow off with a good breakfast before heading to the ramen stand!"

Naruto smiled softly at the thought of relaxing and having an easy day of just dealing with dirty dishes rather than bothering to pay attention to schoolwork and boring lectures. He watched as Ayame popped her head from his jacket when he took to his feet and offered her a hand to get on her own feet.

"Thank you Naruto-kun," she said, taking his hand. Before he was able to remove the jacket, the brunette quickly slid her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up to her neck, her beige shirt hanging down just barely past the bottom of the coat as her black pants and sandals dropped dust clods to the ground. "Mmm, nice and warm, snug too. Think I'm going to keep it for the time being."

Naruto laughed slight as he nodded. "Go ahead, I don't mind. I'll be fine with this vest for a while anyways."

"Come on you two, let's hurry home," Teuchi called back over his shoulder, having started the walk back home a few minutes earlier.

"Alright Dad, we're coming!" Ayame called back. She took Naruto by the hand and dragged him along with her to catch up to her father.

None of them noticed the ruby eyes locked on them at all times from the shadows, the small figure hiding in the shadows the entire time.

'_She reminds way too much of that bitch before she succumbed... This should prove interesting at the least for the time being._'

[---]

**Sorry this has taken so long everyone, but extenuating circumstances have been running rampant in my life since August. Trying to take a _single_ college class when I've been out of school for three years, coupled with the hassle of trying to get a new laptop system through a department of the government to replace my ancient one that's been throwing problems at me left and right, and topped off with having to take care of a geriatric dog whose developed his third case of pneumonia in the last year and a half for almost two months in the house. For the two weeks leading up to Christmas and the week afterwards, we had snow on the ground preventing us from putting the dog back outside after a wind storm hit, meaning we had to take the dog out whenever we thought he needed to drop a load or empty his bladder. Now, we think he's finally coming to the end of his long, happy life. Hopefully, he'll pass in his peaceful slumbers.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed Naruto's second senior year at the Academy, and remember: we authors _need_ your reviews! They are our food!**


	3. Third Time's the Charm

(Prinnies are seen running around the theater, sweeping up the dust from the months of disuse)

**Welcome back everyone! Like I said at the end of last chapter, sorry about the hiatus. Real life just wanted to reassert it's importance at the top of the priority totem pole.**

**Anyways, let's not waste any time in getting this chapter started!**

(Prinnies run by carrying a banner reading:)

We now resume your randomly scheduled reading of Noodles & Ninja Wire, Doods!

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"Hey, isn't he the one who failed the last two years?"

"Yeah! He's the one my mom warned me about!"

"Wow, I can't believe they're letting him try again..."

"It makes sense that he would be given one more attempt to become a genin; village laws dictate that any student of the Academy has no more than three years to pass the Genin Selection Exam before he is forced to consider either leaving the village for further shinobi employment or become a tradesman."

"Look at his clothing..."

"Hn..."

"Hey Forehead-Girl, get away from Sasuke-kun!"

"Like hell I will, Ino-Pig! I was here first!"

"Oh god... They're at it again..."

"For fuck's sake, are those two ever going to shut up?"

"(munch-munch-munch)"

"..."

Naruto looked at the rest of his classmates from his place at the door, taking in the changes to his learning environment. Noting the few students from the last year that opted to take another crack at the graduation tests, the blonde moved on to analyzing what he could of the newcomers to his kingdom as he moved to his customary spot in the back row farthest away from the door.

'_Let's see... one stuck-up pompous ass_,' he looked at a kid at the far end of the first row with his hands folded in front of his mouth and eyes closed, attempting to drown out the arguing roars from the bleach-blonde and a bubblegum queen over him out the corner of his eye, '_complete with preformed fan club: check; population of habitual snackers_,' spying a plump kid with light brown hair and scarf stuffing his face with potato chips to his left coming up to the second row of desks, '_one minimum, Akimichi based on brand and flavor of chips, possible closet/sneaky snackers imminent later on; loudmouths with fan-girls not withstanding_,' sees a boy with a dog on his head attempting to woo a girl that Naruto could only surmise was the Hyuuga heiress by lack of a cursed seal on her forehead, '_plus pet, check; important note: first-born Hyuuga daughter of the Main house in class, watch my ass; snoozers_,' he saw one pineapple-headed kid sitting in the third row from the back, behind the guy with the dog on his head, '_check; and of course, the third-year senior, check_' he darkly thought as he finally arrived at his 'throne' atop the classroom.

The murmurs continued on until Iruka finally made his way in the door, followed not far behind by the fresh assistant teacher from the year before after Mizuki was transferred, Kabuto. Naruto squinted hard at the younger shinobi until realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Hey Kabuto, congrats on the promotion at the last Chunin Exams! Where were they this time, Kumo wasn't it?" he called out, breaking the murmurs amongst the rest of the students. All of the new students except for a particular snoozer looked at him strangely as Iruka chuckled and Kabuto adjusted his glasses.

"Yes Naruto-kun, my teammates and I advanced far enough in the exams to get us into the finals. Unfortunately, they were unable to proceed farther leaving me as the sole representative of our village. As such, I was promoted to chunin after my first match in the finals," Kabuto responded. He smiled oh-so-sweetly as he adjusted the chunin vest he wore. "Due to the incident last year with Mizuki, the Hokage saw it fit to keep me on duty here under Iruka as the assistant instructor for the senior class of the Academy."

"Alright everyone, before there are any more outbursts, let's get to know everyone's name and we can then go over the syllabus you will be going by for this last year of your initial ninja training." Iruka wiggled his hitai-ite slightly to one side as he looked over his clipboard briefly. "Please say 'here' when I call out your name."

And so started Naruto's first day of the absolute last year he had before his last shot at becoming a Konohagakure shinobi.

[---]

"O for fuck's sake..." Naruto muttered under his breath as he watched Choji and Kiba sparring. Both were deft with certain moves, but they each kept making the same mistakes over and over again without seeing it, let alone those of each other. Kiba at least wasn't allowed to utilize Akamaru during the lessons unless it was for free study after the weekly reviews on Fridays.

Oh how Naruto had loved the changes that were _finally_ made to the lesson plans.

Iruka had made it a point to lessen the load of bookwork on the graduating students based on the performance of students in the last five years versus that of the two years before and after (as well as) his own graduating class in order to improve everyone's practical combat skills. As such, students were now studying a different aspect of the ninja world each day: history on Monday, genjutsu on Tuesday, taijutsu for Wednesday, ninjutsu for Thursday, follwed up with a review of everything covered that week on Fridays.

Thus far, there was already a vast improvement apparent in the scores recorded. Only a handful of students were close to failing, and even then they were sitting a full grade scale above the failing mark.

"Kiba, Choji, that's enough for this round." Iruka called out before looking at the clipboard Kabuto was holding out to show the list of the day's pair setups. "Next up for practice is Sasuke against Naruto. When you two are ready, please enter the spar zone and begin after bowing."

A hush fell over the students sitting on the dirt tier of the examination grounds in the courtyard. Everyone in the school had born witness to the birth of Sasuke's despise for the oldest kid in class and the resulting ignorance of him on Naruto's part. Ever since Sasuke lost to Naruto on the first day of taijutsu exercises to gauge everyone's skills, Sasuke was taking every opportunity to try and prove his worth as the 'Last Uchiha' to anyone and everyone. In turn, Naruto simply toyed with Sasuke when he felt like it but overall just decided to ignore his petty selfishness otherwise.

"Hn, hope you like dirt Dobe," Sasuke said, loud enough for everyone to hear clearly when he took his poise at one side of the inner ring.

"Get off that high horse of yours Sasuke; you need to realize you are never going to be the best out there. You may be _among _the best one day, but there will _always_ be someone ready and willing to show you your weaknesses and shove them straight down your throat," Naruto responded half-heartedly as he stepped into the grassy area of the sparring zone. He studied Sasuke's stance and sighed. '_So unimaginative... You'd think that he would have bothered to study even one of his clan's preferred stances rather than the shitty Academy style...'_

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before Naruto bowed as instructed. Sasuke took the immediate opening and disregarded Iruka's warning and charged straight at Naruto's prone form.

What happened next surprised some, floored a few, and made others laugh and or shake their head.

One moment Sasuke was just about to land a combined chop to the back of Naruto's head with a kick to his abdomen, the next moment, Sasuke found himself being flung like a sack of potatoes to his left, impacting hard with the nearest target dummy. "ACK!" was all he was able to let out between connecting with the dummy and slumping to the ground.

Kabuto was the first over to Sasuke, soon joined by Sakura nd Ino. Iruka came up to Naruto and shook his head while the assistant teacher shooed the fangirls away in tandem with checking Sasuke for major injuries.

"Naruto, you need to be more restrained. We both know that none of your classmates aren't capable as you are in taijutsu currently, meaning you need to use more restraint in how much effort you apply," Iruka chastised.

Naruto looked mildly disinterested at Iruka while scratching at the fuzz starting to traverse his jawline from his hairline. "I _was_ restraining myself. That's a simple roundhouse leg-toss really, designed to connect with the opponent's center of gravity and adjust the direction in which his force is heading away from me. In this case, my foot, strengthened with the support of my leg, redirected Sasuke's inertia from coming right at me and over towards that target dummy over there. Granted, I should have probably just rolled forward rather than throw him, but that would have just resulted in Sasuke getting at least a cracked clavicle from the resulting flip-axekick."

Kabuto laid Sasuke gently on his back and focused chakra to his hand. A moment later, green chakra covered his palm. He moved it up and down the groaning form of Sasuke, Ino and Sakura almost biting their lower lips off in fear. A moment later, Kabuto released the diagnosistic jutsu and turned to Iruka. "He's fine, just a bit thrown from the reversal; there's going to be a large amount of visible bruising, and maybe even a bruised rib at the point of initial impact. I'd advise he not participate in taijutsu practice for at least three weeks minimum."

"That's good to hear, Kabuto. Please take him to the nurse's office for the on-duty medic to keep him there for the time being. I'll contact the hospital to come in and perform any more medical procedures so you can continue your duties with our students," Iruka said calmly.

'Yes, Iruka-sempai," Kabuto said as he hoisted Sasuke carefully off the ground and made his way to the school building.

Just as the teacher was about to announce the next pair of students to spar, he was interrupted as two shrill war-cries broke the mutterings and murmurs of the other students. In the blink of an eye, Sakura and Ino charged haphazardly at Naruto.

"DIIIIIEEEEEE!!!" they roared in unison, each one pulling back their arms in preparation to strike the blonde head-on.

Naruto was caught off guard when the blows didn't connect, but not because Iruka had caught the girls by their retracted elbows when the fangirls were less than two feet from him, but rather the large battle fan that had somehow wound up being sunk into the ground mere inches in front of him.

"Just because your precious crush was stupid enough to charge an obviously stronger opponent doesn't mean you need to charge in like lambs to the slaughter," Temari said sternly. The two girls detained by the chunin instructor looked flabbergasted as they realized that Temari was idly sitting on the smaller fanned-out end of her fan, one leg dangling limply down as she held the other to her chest. Her eyes burned into their stunned eyes. "He's been doing nothing but attempt to prove he's the alpha male in this class by challenging the oldest amongst us for 'dominance', and just doesn't realize he's only full of shit rather than actually being the king of it."

Now there were new murmurs spreading amongst the students.

"Dude, why do you think the Kazkekage's daughter is defending _him_?"

"Yeah, why isn't she following after Sasuke-kun like the rest of us?"

"Are you stupid? If she starts to go for him, then he might actually notice her and then where would that leave us?!"

"Does anyone else sense that something very bad and troublesome is about to happen...?"

"Indeed; the fact that one of the most skilled kunoichi-hopefuls in our class is not chasing after the only remaining Uchiha loyal to the village does pose quite a disturbing conundrum..."

"Dude, why is a hot chick like her defending that loser? I'm such a better choice! He's not even from a clan of the village!"

"(munchmunch) What's the big deal? From what I've seen, most (munchmunchmunch) girls go for the older guys."

"Lucky bastard... Wish I was over there right now..."

"...got the perfect chance to pinch her ass without Iruka-sensei even seeing!"

Sakura was the first to snap out of her daze and attempted to break free of Iruka's grip. "I'll kill you Naruto!" she roared.

Ino duely snaped out of her own daze as Sakura bellowed her threat, and followed it up with her own as she pointed a finger at Temari. "And then we'll kill you for interfering!"

Suddenly, there was a dark feeling spreading across the courtyard, and it was eminating from behind Temari's large fan. Slowly, Iruka and the two girls he still held turned slightly and saw that Naruto had moved to stand beside Temari's fan rather than hide behind it. The regular vision of Naruto, that 'I don't give a shit' look coupled with the air that he wasn't going to be anyone's bitch, was now replaced with a maliciousness that was palpable.

He leveled his gaze on Sasuke's biggest fangirls as he moved forward. Iruka stepped back, unconsciously pulling the two girls back with him effortlessly.

The blonde finally stopped as he took a stand in front of Temari atop her fan, his gaze unwavering in its growing intensity. "You can do whatever you want that you think you could possibly do to me, but involving someone just because they try to make you see the truth is unacceptable. Your issue is with me, not her."

"When she butted in the way she did, she gave up her ticket to ignorance Whiskers!" Ino shouted, her own eyes narrowing sharply.

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest and assumed a haughty posture when she retorted. "Yeah, that Sand bitch can't possibly take us both on!"

Just as Naruto was going to speak, a barrage of kunai landed in the ground before him. Everyone followed the trajectory of the weapons back to their owners to see several high-ranking shinobi wearing Leaf headbands, even some bearing various ANBU masks. A loud throng of villagers carrying various objects rushed into the courtyard from the open gate and proceeded to encircle the testing zone three-people deep as a barrier.

Calls for the death of the demon brat, the demise of he who would kill the great Uchiha Survivor, and other, more vicious taunts erupted from the villagers. The shinobi scattered along the walls and the Academy's roof were silent but the sneers and sadistic grins apparent on their faces pokes for them.

All these people were here to deal with Naruto, simply because he injured Sasuke during a training match in class.

One of the ninja from the rooftop jumped down and landed in front of the blonde, creating a barrier between the two blondes and the girls with Iruka. "What right did you have to injure Uchiha Sasuke like that, demon?" he asked, his dark eyes focused solely on Naruto. He kept his arms at his sides and his voice stoic despite the killer intent flooding out of him.

"I was merely participating in a taijutsu spar as per the instruction given out by Chunin-Teacher Umino Iruka and Assistant-Teacher Chunin Yakushi Kabuto," he responded just as flatly. "We were still in the process of the instructors gauging our skills in combat, and I only did a simple action to counter Uchiha Sasuke's hastily-made attack without first obeying the rules of spar-combat we've been told to follow while in the confines of the Academy's walls. I am not responsible for any injury he has sustained due to our training regimen."

"Fancy talk for a demon!"

"Kill him, make him pay for what he did to the last Uchiha!"

Cries for blood rang out through the courtyard as the students caught in the center of the massing started to get antsy. None of them had anticipated something of this magnitude happening before, and most of them were not liking how things were turning out. Only a few even registered some of the exact terms being called out, raising questions in their minds about what exactly was going on around them.

Iruka glanced around at the shinobi that had first arrived. Many of them were at least mid-jonin thus making it a fruitless endeavor in futility to take them on. He looked around, and was surprised to see that Mizuki was amongst the ones atop the roof, a wide grin on his face as he readied a fuuma shuriken in his right hand.

Naruto lowered his face slightly as to get a grasp of the situaation on hand. He recognized many of the voices as people who had chased him around for years after hours, and even then some of them were amongst those he had used that first 'malicious-level' prank-tags against just over a year ago. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, feeling something bubbling inside. Something he had felt once before, that which had caused the incident at Tsukino's shop. The last thing he wanted to do was call forth _that_ again.

Temari grabbed everyone's attention as she stood atop her fan and let out a shrill whistle. "You have no proof that there was any intent on Naruto's part in which was responsible for deliberately injuring Sasuke! It was a practice sparring match, set up by the instructors to identify each student's skill range to adequately decide what and how to teach us!"

"Shut yer fuckin' mouth!"

"This doesn't concern you, wench!"

"Demon-whore!"

Several members of the excited riot started to throw random garbage at Naruto and Temari, everyone else in the midst of the assemblage having backed away when the Kazekage's daughter started talking.

"Further behavior in this matter regarding the situation will only cause my village of Suna to reconsider it's strives for an alliance with your precious Konoha! If you are going to treat someone whose not even out of the Academy like he was about to kill your leader in such manner for a simple occurrence like those paltry injuries, then I will see to it that my father breaks off ties of all kind with this village!" the fan-user stated firmly.

"Who cares?!"

"We don't need your lousy village's alliance!"

"Go back where you came from, bitch!"

Some of the rioters started aiming their throws at Temari instead of just at Naruto. One such object just so happened to be a rock the size of a small child's head, which connected firmly with Temari's skull square in the left temple.

The entire courtyard went quiet, quieter than even a graveyard was on the night of a full moon as the now unconscious Sunagakure emissary fell off the top of her upright fan to the ground and landed with a thud.

Every single ninja stopped breathing the second they saw the contact between rock and skull, knowing full well that there was soon going to be a very large problem, much worse than someone injuring the only remaining Uchiha. Each shinobi was speechless as the villagers continued to throw anything they had at her limp body, and paled when some shards of glass and other sharp broken materials started to create very apparent wounds.

None of the villagers stopped their onslaught until a dense fog started to envelop the area. Not thick, but very peculiar as it was a shade of red, and it seemed to be pouring out of the last blonde student standing next to the fan.

'Oh shit...' thought Iruka, who then instinctively got a better grasp of Ino and Sakura's arms. Firmly and without hesitation, he pulled the two of them far out of the vicinity of the spar zone, more accurately from between Naruto and the villagers. Other ninja from the gathered crowd followed suit and proceeded to effectively evacuate the other students from the floor of the yard as more low fog rolled around.

All the ninja, sans Mizuki and a couple others standing next to him with looks just as twisted as his, the students and certified ninja looked on with innocent and experienced terror as the next few moments unfolded.

Naruto raised his head from the posture of a child in remorse to reveal eyes tinged with a dull glow to them, flickering with each breath.

'**Do not let them push you or those around you like this anymore...**' came a dark voice from nowhere in his mind.

'_No! I will not kill!_' he roared back mentally, too fixated on controlling the urges to spread terror and fear through a new paint job of the village with a fresh batch of red villagers' blood, straight out the corpse.

'**Who said anything about killing? You merely have to illustrate your strength, and in turn they should leave you be...**' the voice retorted with something that seemed akin to humor.

A moment of silent contemplation caused Naruto to ease his breathing, the glow to his eyes dimming visibly.

'_Fine, but nothing beyond a few... affective cuts to get my point across..._' he admitted to the unidentified voice in his head.

A wave of dark glee flooded his mind as images of handsigns came to him. '**Just do these signs in succession; the rest will happen on it's own...**'

Without antoher moment's notice, Naruto performed the handsigns he'd seen. The fog suddenly stood stock-still as it stopped flowing from the young man.

The villagers thought this to be the end of the fog and so they all rushed Naruto, unknowingly securing themselves all a very painful lesson.

"Demon Art: Bladed Fog Jutsu!"

Just as the first villager came into swinging range, he was halted by the sudden appearance of the red fog crawling up his body and instantly slicing away at his clothes. Trickles of blood trailed down his limbs in the paths that the fog had climbed up his body, his intent to kill ebbing away in favor of shutting his nerves down with massive floods of adrenaline to ease the pain. More and more villagers succumbed to the same experience before the rest realized that the fog only acted against those in range of Naruto. Thusly, those that hadn't immediately charged in, ran for their lives, each one leaving a trail of urine as their proof of having been witness. Some even left brown lumps in their wake, evidencing exactly how scared they truly had just become.

The gathered students on the platform were all very speechless and frightened at what they had just seen. None of them had ever heard of something such as this, and none of them ever expected to bear witness to someone barely older than them using a single jutsu to incapacitate a total count of thirteen people in moments. Amongst the students, only Shikamaru and Shino were able to keep the contents of their lunches down. Every other classmate lost all control of their reflexes as the smell of blood and rot wafted in the air towards them. Akamaru even fell off Kiba's head and fainted from the overwhelming odors, Kiba nearly following suit if it hadn't been for Hinata having collapsed in his arms.

Kabuto was the first one to emerge from the building, several other teachers behind him as well as the full medical staff of the Academy. Some of the less experienced teachers unable to find the strength to near the sight before them. Kabuto immediately rushed over to Naruto and Temari as the other medics tended to those who'd been affected by the dark jutsu.

Upon finding Naruto in an almost catatonic state, the fresh chunin ignored him due to lack of real injury and proceeded to tend to the other blonde there. He wasted no time in closing up the cuts she had received from the sharp gabarge thrown at her. He readjusted her to be more comfortable before a gourney could bring her to the infirmary. Kabuto was however surprised as Naruto moved to her other side and placed a hand on her left wrist.

"Demon Art: Demon Regeneration Jutsu..." he whispered softly. Kabuto marveled as a small stream of red chakra seeped from Naruto's hand and divided into threads, each one pathing to a different injury site on her body. The largest stream traveled up Temari's neck and to her temple, the place where the first rock connected glowed the brightest of all as the rest of the threds faded away. Within moments, the large pooling of the chakra faded from her temple as well, leaving her completely normal as when she had arrived at school that morning, the condition of her clothes notwithstanding.

'**Interesting how demon chakra can do so much for both beneficial and detremental, isn't it?**' the voice asked again. This time, it conveyed a sense of true inquiry with deep meaning and emotion, unlike the darker and sadistic thoughts before.

'_...Yeah..._' he responded briefly.

Just as the Hokage and a full squad of ANBU arrived on the scene, Naruto's eyes rolled back into his sockets as he fell face-first onto Temari's stomach. The last thing Naruto thought he saw was Ayame running to his position before succumbing the rapidly encroaching darkness.

[---]

It was dark when Naruto's eyes opened finally. Problem was, he found himself in a place he didn't recognize.

Not only was it dark, but he could smell the mold and dust hanging in the cold moist air around him. The walls looked to be covered in a light-colored slime, hints of blue and green the only other thing Naruto could see in the dim lighting coming from what he found to be tubes running above his head. Upon further inspection, the blonde noticed that the light cast by the tubes was unsteady in its continuous flow, almost as if it was acting like a person's pulse.

"What the hell is going on here..." he asked quietly. As if in response, the flow of the blue light seemed to reverse its direction and go back the way it came, almost like a hint to follow it. With a shrug of his shoulders, Naruto wordlessly followed the pulsating tubes wherever they may lead him.

After what seemed to be a silent eternity, Naruto found himself in an expansive cavern that stretched pretty far in all directions. He looked around, noting the various ledges and outcroppings around the cave, giving the impression of an ampitherater when he thought about the alyout of the seats more.

"**So you finally arrive...**" came a slightly familiar voice.

"And you are...?" he asked, his eyes looking around, trying to locate the owner of that voice.

"**I'm down here; come closer and we shall be properly introduced.**"

Ledges broke away from the walls and formed a sprialing ramp leading down to the leveled floor of the cave where Naruto was confronted with the visage of dark strength that had enabled him to over come his bad odds twice now.

There, sitting on it's hind legs, was a fox that sat taller than most buildings, nine tails pointing in various directions. It's crimson fur shone in the dim light, casting an illuminance around the lower ledges and causing an eerie glow to the area.

"**I see you have indeed taken on some of the characteristics of my kind, container**."

"So you're the fucking furball that got sealed in my gut just after I was born huh?" Naruto asked with little enthusiasm.

"**Yes, I am the demon that brought so much destruction to your village all those years ago, and I am the one that your father subsequently sealed in your belly to prevent my further rampaging. I am Kyuubi**."

"So you're the reason my entire life's been fucked up beyond belief huh. Oh well, may as well make the best of this then," he said dejectedly. "How are we going to get along in this manner with your unlimited chakra being confined to such a small vessel in comparison to the orignal?" Naruto asked as he sat down, his head landing itself in the palm of his right hand as its elbow rest on his lap.

"I can answer that for you!" came a very feminine voice, high above them on one of the undisturbed ledges.

"**Oh my, it's been quite a while since I've seen you Etna...**" the fox said as a dark figure descended to be between them.

Upon landing, Naruto gazed out of the corner of his eye and saw a girl who looked barely his own age wearing a pretty provocative outfit of a leather strapless top and leather miniskirt that had black leggings run from her weird black and white shoes all the way up under her skirt as she wore mid-bicep length leather gloves and a black choker with a skull as the brooch. Her magenta hair matched her pupil-less magenta eyes as it spiked out in some directions and had two pigtails in the back, spiking out farther than any other groups. Oddest of all were the bat-like wings that actually moved on their own on her back and that she was carrying what looked to be a staff with three-tined pitchfork on the end that stood a good foot or two taller than her.

"The prince has been wondering where the hell you've been for the last couple centuries, ya know? What I can't believe you've been locked away in a mere human," she said with a twinge of venomous delight. "Oh how embarassing it's going to be when I explain to him that all of you demons were turned into jailbirds by the weakest creatures in creation!"

Naruto could feel the temperature drop lower as the fox's fur bristled visibly. "**Do not tell Laharl about the circumstances of my disappearence. At least, not what's been going on for the last dozen or so years anyway...**"

"But why? The Prince always wanted to turn the lot of you into pets, you especially Kyuubi. I remember babysitting him one day and you came by. You didn't know it til it was too late when he latched onto a couple of your tails and wouldn't let go; I swear I've never seen him so happy as when he was torturing you 'tailed' demons!"

"**I'm no one's pet, and I'm no one's tool!**" roared the demon fox as Naruto simply started to fidget with a nearby rock.

"Oh please, I've been watching this kid for the last year now after I heard rumors spread about some punk using a red energy to eliminate a couple pathetic ninjas," the girl stated, planting the weapon into the ground up to the separation of the tines and jumped onto the butt end of the pole. "I've also heard that Shukaku was enslaved for selfish reasons by the guy in charge of the large desert to the east, beyond that dreary country covered in rain that's almost like it should be at the ocean's side than in the middle of the continent. I don't know exactly which of his kids he used as the container for that twisted 'coon, since Laharl tasked me with finding you animals based on how relevant you are to his plans."

"**So the brat's moving forward with his plans already?**" inquired the fox, raising an eyebrow comically.

Etna stomped her foot onto the weapon in protest. "Yeah, but he would have done it earlier if you mangy demons hadn't vanished all of a sudden on us!"

"**When you're pulled from your home in the middle of the night by some foolish humans to be their machine of destruction, and caged to their world, there's not a whole lot you can do.**" Four of the tails were now swishing back and forth dangerously.

"Well too bad; you've had your fun and now it's time to go back to the Netherworld." Etna leaned back and snapped her fingers. A moment passed and there was no response which caused a rather large tick mark to present itself on her face. She snapped again, again with no response. She pulled out a large cone and took a huge breath, lettng it out in a loud yell. "PRINNIES, GET YOUR REPENTING ASSES IN HERE NOW!"

There was still no response, and this caused the demonic-appearing girl to turn as red as her hair from frustration.

"You know, I don't think a prinny can do the same things a regular demon can..." Naruto flicked a booger that promptly landed in Kyubi's ear, making a large tick mark appear on the fox's forehead just like Etna had. "You know, if I'm right, Etna's a succubus; unless these 'prinnnies' are incubi demons, then I seriously doubt they'd have the ability to enter a mortal's mindscape..."

The tick marks on both demons' heads disappeared as they looked at him quizzically.

"Before you even ask, I only know what she is because of one simple thing: when you get called something for no reason, you're bound to at one point or another go and find out the meaning of the term slapped on you like another name." Naruto yawned and flopped back onto the ground as he went on, "So I finally found something in the hidden archives of the library, the kinda section where the librarians put the stuff they don't want the public to know they've got on hand, and found a book about various demons. Studied the damn thing cover to cover several times, but never found any resemblance between myself and the demons inside; did find out about succubus and incubus demons though."

"Turns out that only one of each type can enter a mortal's mind at any given time, and even then only one of either type unless the succubus and incubus are weak enough that their presence doesn't screw up the mortal's mindscape." Naruto yawned and kicked one leg over the other as he put his hands behind his head as a pillow. "Stands to reason that Etna there can be here, but unless she's really weak and so are those prinnies, they're not gonna be popping in here any time soon."

Etna and Kyuubi looked at the blonde for a moment before looking blankly at each other.

"Now, if the two of you would please, I'd like to try and get some mental rest; the whole fiasco that took place before I blacked out was pretty exhausting," he asked tiredly.

Etna huffed her chest out and crossed her arms over it, leaning back on her weapon. "And what if I don't want to let you sleep? What you gonna do about it?"

Kyuubi covered it's snout with its paws and ducked behind a nearby boulder as best it could.

"Do what you want; I can stand you easier than half my classmates over the last three years," Naruto responded lazily.

An evil smirk crossed Etna's face as she thought for a moment, and clapped her hands together twice, saying, "Delicious Devilish Delight Transformation!"A puff of smoke covered up Etna's form momentarily, soon clearing out into nothingness.

The small girl's original appearance in was gone: now in its place stoood a very voluptious woman.

Her magenta hair now hung down below her ass in the two pigtails as her bangs now hung just shy of her bare clavicles. Her ears grew from three inch long elfen points to nearly three times that with her eyes remaining the same if not a tad more seductive in their shape. Her leather attire was now replaced with an outfit that could make a married man leave his wife, a man with erectile dysfunction get it up without a hitch, and possibly, even turn a gay man straight and easily turn a straight woman gay.

In the place of her original leather outfit, there was nothing but sexual appeal meant to grab _everyone's _attention. She was now wearing what looked to have at one point been a one-piece bathing suit of black silk, but now had almost all of the excess material cut away to leave only a skeleton frame to cover up the most provocative places. From the high neck, the suit divided at the start of her sternum and went down over her breasts at an angle with three-inch wide strips, barely covering up her nipples and continuing down to swing to the back where those strips met with the strips that formed the design covering her lower genitals that in turn thinned into almost nothing that shot straight up in between her round firm ass cheeks to return to the other straps and hold the suit all together at the small of her back.

There were two pairs of grommets directly across from one another on the breast-straps, holding chains that criss-crossed across the gaping chasm that was once a large meadow between Etan's now swelling cleavage. Similar chains ran from rings fastened to the straps directly over her nipples out to the wrist portions of the gloves she now wore which only had a bracelet of fabric around the wrist with a cloth back running up the back of the hand triangularly to a ring that was on her middle finger.

Gone now were the old leggings and gloves; in there place were knee-high boots with long stiletto heels and a mesh-like material that covered everything except the front bare section of Etna's outfit.

"Naruto, if you've studied succubi as much as you say you have," she started in a deeper sultry voice, "then you know why we enter the dream worlds of mortals..."

'_C__'mon Naruto, you can ignore her; she's nowhere near as annoying as Lee was when I first met him last year…_'

She purred as she licked her lips, her now massive wings adjusting themselves to be more comfortable as her true tail flicked back and forth. She sashayed over to the young man on the ground, her hips effectively moving out to each side she stepped on to create a more alluring vision of sexual advancement. "I know you want to, Naruto-_kun_…"

'**Holy hell kid… If you manage to suppress yourself long enough to get out of here, I swear I'm gonna give you at least **_**some**_** respect…**'

'_Deal!_'

'…**Damn two-way telepathy…**'

Naruto's concentration almost blew it for him when he suddenly felt something warm and slick making it's way up his pant leg. He resisted the urge to emit even a hiss as he felt something press down on specific nerves in his left leg as it traveled up his appendage, going only to one place he could think of. '_Come on, you can do this…_'

"You won't be able to resist for long… None of my prey have been able to last once they get a taste of the 'nectar' I keep at my 'altar'…" Etna huskily whispered. "And so you know, that's my _tail_ that's giving you the handjob. I have more control over it in my demure form… I can even turn it into…" she trailed as off.

Naruto nearly cracked his eyes open in amazement as he felt that now there were three somethings in his shorts: one caressing his hardening shaft while two more started fondling his junk.

"Time for your first lesson, schoolboy: never look a gift…" there was a ruffling of cloth over his head that he could hear, "pussy in the mouth!"

Etna had, while dividing her tail into two more ends, shoved three fingers on her right hand into her mouth and started to lick at them and get them moist with her saliva as her left tweaked her already stiff nipples through the thin material of her outfit and under the rings. She then used her left hand to push aside the fabric covering her crotch to reveal, just as Kyuubi had dared to peek out from behind both its boulder and paws, a patch of magenta hair trimmed neatly into the shape of a pair of conjoined bat wings nestled right at the top of her pink slit, just above her clitoris which was poking itself out from between her lips red as her hair.

Before Naruto knew what to do, he found his face covered with Etna's crotch as she held his arms down with her wings and was rubbing her left hand back over her nipples as her right hand opened up her lips and shoved her pussy right onto his gaping mouth.

Kyuubi ducked once more behind its boulder in order to attempt and stop the developing nosebleed at the turn of events. It hadn't expected to be in conversation with its host one moment and then watch as said host was having any normal human male's wildest fantasy fulfilled.

Etna temporarily stopped stuffing Naruto's mouth with her pussy just long enough so she could reposition herself over him. She brought her legs back under her and squatted down right onto his face, this time forcing her vagina to be right over and around his nose. She used her right hand to rub at the gorged nub just inches above his eyes, moving her left to stroking Naruto's hair. "You're good at this already, you sure you're a virgin?" she asked devilishly.

Kyuubi peeked back over the boulder and barely kept control as he witnessed the whole scene. Then, just barely, it noticed something odd. Then it started to smile as the occurrence also caught Etna's attention.

"Hey, you can't leave yet!" Etna screamed, sensing Naruto's consciousness fade from right under her. "I'm not satisfied yet!"

Naruto's eyes were all she could see as his embodiment began fading faster, and she could see his glee at pissing her off. The succubus lost focus of her tail as she attempted to grasp the blonde by the hair in order to try and keep him from leaving, but just as her fingers came into contact with his follicles, she immediately found herself landing roughly on her ass while the unrestrained laughter of the demon fox echoed throughout the subterranean ampitheater.

"**Oh he got you good, bitch!**" Kyuubi roared, his snout high in the air.

Etna stood up roughly and clapped her hands once, a puff of magenta smoke engulfing her and passed. Back in her normal appearance, she huffed as she looked at the spot she had almost raped Naruto, and then narrowed her eyes as she focused back on the guffawing prisoner.

"You know, he's going to _pay_ for that…"

The Kyuubi merely lost control of its laughing fit even more as Etna just sighed in exasperation before grabbing her weapon and leaving in her own manner. Moments later and it realized that there were no other occupants of the stage to his theater.

"**This sucks… I need him to make some company in here for me or something…**" it muttered as it settled down on the stage and reminisced of its past life as a free demon.

[---]

"…must be removed from this village as a threat, or at the very least confined to high security ANBU facilities!" roared a raspy male voice.

"You have no authority here, Danzo; as a member of the _civilian_ council, you are limited to only matters concerning the economy and appearance of the industrial aspects of Konoha," came Sarutobi's voice. "As the Hokage, I have _sole_ jurisdiction over all militaristic aspects; that includes not just all active-duty and retired shinobi, but those that _are in training_, meaning that I make the decisions over the Academy as well!"

"But Lord Hokage, this matter supercedes normal circumstances and boundaries!" called out a shrill female voice.

A husky male voice retorted sharply, "The only reason you _think_ it does is because the _boy_ injured your little whore's beloved crush."

"You take that back you lazy bastard!" called the shrill woman.

"Regardless of what the perceptions of this situation are, the fact remains that this is strictly a matter for the shinobi clan council to discuss; any and all civilian council representatives are forbidden from bearing witness and or taking part," came a calm male voice.

"I honestly don't see what the big deal is," came a bored woman's voice. "So the kid got injured during a class activity, big deal. He should have had more sense than to blindly charge his enemy; it's basic combat tactics."

"(munchmunch) And besides, this kid's also got (munch) two years' worth of practice and work over the Uchiha," came the voice of another husky male, albeit between mouthfuls of food.

Naruto knew that doing anything at this moment would cause them all to find him awake, but he'd rather deal with the naturally living than the sexually frustrated demonic.

"Damn you pricks are awfully loud; managed to wake up a guy in a coma for fuck's sake!" he roared. He attempted to move his arms to stretch, but then he realized that he couldn't. He looked down at himself through blurry eyes to find his person restrained in a body-cage with seals engraved on the shell. "What the FUCK is going on here!?"

A woman with pink hair shrieked and pointed at Naruto. "it's awake, kill him!"

"Shit… you must be Sakura's mom…" he said dejectedly. "Just for the record, I was _not_ the first one to wonder if pink was her true hair color. I will admit to being the one who taught Kiba the jutsu he used in order to find out though…"

A woman with red war paint on her cheeks laughed out loud as a dog next to her laughed (or what Naruto thought passed for canine laughter). "So _you're_ the smartass that helped him perfect his transformation huh? I have to thank you for that."

"I'll kill you myself!" screamed Sayuki, Sakura's mother, as she lifted her chair and made to throw it at him. Before she moved even a foot, three kunai were embedded in the wall right next to her, each one emblazoned with a different clan symbol.

"Haruno," came the cold voice of the Hyuuga clan head Hiashi, "you must remember your place. Any attempt on a shinobi, certified or apprentice, by a civilian in such an unprovoked manner will end in the favor of the ninja." He looked at Naruto briefly before sitting down, his hidden kunai pouch revealed momentarily in his sleeve in the process. "Even when the ninja-apprentice is such a _unique_ case."

"Stop fucking pussy-footing around the fact that I've been hold the shit-brained fox for as long as I've been living already!" Naruto yelled, struggling against the cage. "I just got done talking with the bastard for the first time."

If anyone had dropped a pin at this point in time in the council chamber, the resulting impact would make even the loudest of yelling matches between Ino and Sakura over who got to sit next to Sasuke seem like an ant farting.

"See!? Even _more_ reason to kill him!" shouted Sayuki and another woman, one that could only be Ino's mother as identified by her platinum hair.

"No, he'll be more useful to us as a secret weapon like what Suna did with the Kazekage's younger son!" the man with an eyepatch and a crutch yelled, now identified as the first voice Naruto woke up hearing.

"No, he will be treated as he is: a normal teenager striving to be a loyal shinobi of this village!" Sarutobi yelled, hitting his point home by slamming his closed fist down on the surface of the conference table.

The clan heads shook their heads as the members of the civilian council fumed. Never before had there been such a clash between the two halves of the Hokage's advisory body as this, not even when there were extremely difficult decisions on who would be the Third and Fourth Hokages respectively.

"As the person selected by your predecessors to lead this village over fifty years ago, I make the decision in the end on what shall happen! The members of the civilian council have lost sight of their purpose and focused on their goals of overthrowing the position of Hokage!" Sarutobi continued. His nostrils were flaring as he attempted to calm his breathing before going further. "And during the time the twelve of you have been squabbling back and forth about the matter, I have come to my choice and will now make my ruling."

Several occupants of the council chamber could be seen almost holding their breath in anticipation, mostly those on the left side of the room where the economic representatives sat.

"After having reviewed the situation, listened to and read the witness reports from all present parties, both before and after the arrival of the combined villager _and_ shinobi numbers, this is my ruling." The old man took his hat off and rubbed his face minutely to alleviate the tension bulding in his brows. "I find that Uzumaki Naruto, third-year senior of Konoha's Academy for Ninja Apprenticeship, was doing only as instructed by both Chunin Umino Iruka and Yakushi Kabuto during a scheduled class lesson. As such, no punishment will be handed down regarding the injuries Uchiha Sasuke sustained."

He quickly held up a hand to quell the imminent onslaught of complaints and demands. "And to further prevent such instances, I will put this choice before the Combined Village Council: shall Uzumaki be allowed to stay in class with the other seniors, or shall he be removed-"

"You bastard! Don't you dare take me out of the Academy! This is my last chance!" Naruto burst out, struggling even harder against his cage.

"-from the class in order to receive tutelage from an undisclosed source."

"Why let _him_ get to have a special tutor rather than be with the others and not Sasuke?" demanded Sayuki. Several other councilmen on the left side of the table nodded their heads quietly, fearing another demonstration of aggression from their leader.

"If you cannot see the wisdom to the Hokage's offere," a sunglass-wearing clan head spoke up firmly, "then allow me to explain it to you easily enough for you to get it. If Naruto continues to study alongside the others, than there will still be tension amongst him and certain classmates as well as the growing stress with the Uchiha survivor. But if Naruto is given a tutor to study the material outside class, the rest of those within the class gain a more calm environment without the presence of Naruto there to cause them severe aggravation or other atmosphere."

"But still-" Iyori started.

"But if you remove the Uchiha from the class, there will be tension greater than there already is between several members of the female population in class against Naruto, and unwanted tension between the clan heirs. I know for a fact that a majority of the heirs to the other clans in this village already are developing unnecessary grudges against the Uchiha based on how he is treated now. Further _babying_ of Uchiha Sasuke will only result in tearing apart this village by the threads that hold it together."

The civilian council were looking at Shibi with deadpan looks, mostly out of frustrated confusion.

"Look," started Shika, "it's this simple: taking Naruto out of the senior class will make it easier on everyone else while removing Sasuke from the class is going to tear the shinobi society apart with the resulting resentment towards him for being babied."

"So? Sasuke deserves a private tutor more than that _thing_ does!" shouted Sayuki.

Shika sighed and quietly whispered his clan's trademark phrase. "Listen to it _this_ way then. If Sasuke and not Naruto is privately tutored for the rest of the school year, then this village will fall apart like an archway without the keystone. That's because, if the shinobi side of life here turns itself inside-out with conflict, that's going to hurt the rest of the village in the _pocketbook_…"

That's when it hit the council like a ton of bricks.

"So now I put this to a vote: all those in favor of removing Naruto from the senior class to receive private tutoring until the genin exams, say 'aye'; all those in favor of keeping him class say 'nay'."

"Aye," rang out from twelve different councilmen in unison.

"Then it's settled!" the Hokage said with a mischievous grin.

"So… can I get the _fuck_ out of this cage now?!" Naruto demanded. He added a lot more than previously in hopes to illustrate his point.

"Allow me," came a new voice from behind the Hokage.

Everyone but Sarutobi jerked the heads in the voice's direction, shocked to see someone having gotten in the room without them knowing. Except for Naruto, having not even been conscious when _he_ entered the room.

"Before you all ask the obvious, it's hard to notice someone _already_ inside a room when you're arguing yourselves red in the face long before you even enter the conference room," came the voice again.

The voice's owner was a woman in a simple black kimono with crimson obi tied in the back, crimson sandals on her feet as a wide sheathe sat across her back. A handle shot out the top of the sheathe at a foot in length, wrapped in black fabric with a red tassle dangling off it. The woman's complexion was much darker than a native of Fire country, and her hair was certainly not normal either. Her skin had a dark earthen complexion while her straight white hair framed her face finely as it clung to the sides of her head on its way along her neck to her bustline. You could see the bandaging she wore across her chest through the moderate opening of her kimono starting above her obi. She wore crimson bandages around her hands and palms, with a black choker bearing the symbol for 'awareness' in white thread.

"Hello, esteemed council of Konohagakure," she said with a deep bow upon standing next to Naruto. "I am known as Aisha of Spreyga."

"And what purpose do you possibly have here?" asked Danzo, squinting his one good eye at the woman.

"I am here at the request of your Hokage to perform a direly needed task: providing instruction to a troubled apprentice," she responded simply. She kept her face neutral while surveying the room before speaking again. "From what I've already heard, it seems that my experience here will be greatly appreciated by my new student."

"And what is it that qualifies you to provide the tutelage for the boy?" asked Choza, putting his empty bag of chips away quietly. He looked at the woman hard, trying to find any flaw while awaiting his answer.

"Fair enough of a question to ask and fair enough to answer." She raised her hands to her neck and undid the choker's knot in back, pulling it away to reveal a very intricate seal design underneath. "I am like him, a container for the tailed demons that once ravaged this continent at will. I bear the six-tailed dragon."

"How can we believe you? Sure you have a seal, but there's no guarantee that what you say is true!" shouted Sayuki.

A wind blew through the council chambers as a large man popped in the window, his unruly white hair and kabuki outfit causing him to stick out like a penis in a lesbian orgy. "Oh believe me, that's a real demon-containing seal alright. I should know, I designed that one myself."

"Lord Jiraiya!" was shouted by many of the civilians, and even Tsume and Hiashi couldn't refrain from speaking out.

"It's been a while Aisha; haven't seen you since you were five or so, when I came to check your seal the last time," the man said.

"Yes, and I'm rather glad I haven't seen you since then after I found out about exactly _how_ you earn the money for your neverending journeys…" she responded with a flat tone and closed eyes.

Jiraiya sweatdropped at this but recovered fast with a cough. "Anyways, I decided to come and see what all the commotion was when I heard from those two goofballs at the front gate about a mob heading over to the Academy. Something about a _demon_ needing to be killed or something."

There was a loud crash as Naruto finally caused his cage to tip over from the constant struggling against it. "FUCK!"

"Sorry about that, Naruto." Aisha knelt down carefully and released the large seal on the body-cage. Naruto slowly got out of the device and stretched with the help of an offered hand from the other container.

"Thanks, Aisha-sensei," he said while rotating his arms in small circles. "So when do we get started on that tutoring? The sooner I get this underway, the better honestly."

Without another word, the civilian council, albeit it unhappy about the overall decision, left the chamber quietly as to not further garner their leader's wrath.

"As this meeting of the Combined Village Council has unofficially come to an end, all members of the shinobi council are dismissed and may leave or stay to hear what is going to be discussed beyond the meeting," Sarutobi said, placing his official Hokage hat back on his balding head. "Otherwise, Jiraiya, Aisha, and Naruto, you three shall come to my office to go over the details of this arrangement."

"Sure thing old man," Jiraiya said. He followed the older man to the door but turned before leaving, a quizzical eyebrow raised as he saw Aisha and Naruto hadn't moved an inch. "Aren't the two of you coming?"

"We will be there in a few minutes, Jiraiya," Aisha responded. "There is something I must first inquire of my new student before we continue."

The larger man opened his mouth to ask another question, but immediately closed it when his ear suddenly felt like it was going to be ripped off his head.

"Take your time, Aisha; I'm sure you'll find my office after you're done," Sarutobi said, dragging his former student out of the council chamber.

"Thank you Lord Hokage, I promise we won't keep you two long," Aisha said with a bow.

With the shutting of the door, Naruto then realized that the clan leaders had silently left sometime between the village representatives and the departure of the Hokage. "Wow, those guys are seriously good…" he murmured softly.

"That is because they must be, in order to be those that lead their clans. It is only natural that a clan is led by the strongest, whether it be by strength of mind or body," his new teacher responded firmly. "Now then, I just want to know one thing of you at this moment. After that, we must reconvene with the others."

"What's that, sensei?" he asked with a leveled gaze. He wasn't about to go making an enemy of the only remaining chance he had to become a Leaf shinobi, and being honest and straightforward from the start would make things all the easier later on.

She turned her whole body to face him completely, and turned him to face her completely as well. With her hands still on his shoulders, she lowered herself just enough so she could be eye-level with Naruto. A blue-inked marking appeared on her forehead, the shape of what he could only identify as a third eye an inch above the bridge of her nose that opened from the center and out to the sides. "Are you attracted to me? Answer my truthfully, that is all I ask of you right now."

On the outside, Naruto remained calm while his inner workings went on the fritz. '_Oh fuck, not another one…'_

"Keep your eyes focused on my face, do not let your eyes wander until I say otherwise."

"How elaborate of an answer do you want, a single word or something more extensive?" he asked firmly.

"That is up to you."

Sighing as best he could without breaking eye contact, the blonde knew he had to answer truthfully lest he screw himself later on. "As of right now based on what I've witnessed already, you are a very physically attractive woman whose outward personality does convey the message 'Come closer if you dare…' while covering up something on the inside that you aren't willing to expose to the rest of the world so easily. And I'm not referring to your burden, either," he finished.

The eye tattoo on Aisha's forehead glowed a dark blue as soon as he spoke, and faded away back into her normal complexion a moment after he stopped. Aisha stood back up straight while her hands remained on his shoulders, her eyes closed in contemplation.

"I appreciate your honesty, Naruto. Indeed, you are already tapping into a skill of your own burden, and using it without knowing." She brought him closer and embraced him softly, stroking his hair with one hand. "There will be much I teach you, inside and out of this agreement with the Hokage."

"What-"

Aisha immediately released him and focused back on his face. "No time now, we have a meeting to attend to. After that, _then_ we can begin."

Just as Naruto was going to ask his question again, he found that the scenery around him had instantly changed. Now he recognized the room they were in as Sarutobi's office, with the larger old man standing next to the Hokage who sat behind his desk. Naruto turned slightly and saw that the entirety of the shinobi council stood against the walls of the chamber. Each of them waited stoicly for the continuation of the meeting regarding the future plans for Naruto, all with straight faces and no emotion. Except for Shika Nara, whom Choza and Tsume had to occasionally prod with a kunai to keep awake.

With a tapping of his pipe into his desktop ashtray, Sarutobi began. "So Aisha, I trust you found out what you wanted. Now, we need to know what you have planned for Naruto's education."

Aisha pulled the giant sheathed sword from the confines of her obi and placed it softly on the ground with one hand. Kneeling down onto it, the casing started to glow as she closed her eyes and responded. "With what information you have provided from his school records and ANBU reports, Naruto's largest difficulty here is that he is attempting to perform a jutsu that requires so little chakra while his control over his energy is very limited. In short, he's trying to shove an ocean through a straw all at once in his efforts to drown a ladybug."

"Damn, best analogy I've heard someone make in a long time," Jiraiya muttered.

"So how do you plan to help Naruto overcome this issue?" Sarutobi asked. He interlaced his fingers in front of his face as he placed his elbows on the desk.

"It is simple in theory, but much more difficult in practice," she responded. She remained seated on her weapon as the glow settled down slightly to a dark green. "Tsukasa, the name of the demon sealed inside me, has recommended that I focus mostly on teaching him how to work to his strength, rather than continuing to falter when faced with his weaknesses."

"And how do you plan to do that?" asked Hiashi from behind her. His eyes were focused on the back of her head as she stood, awaiting a response.

Aisha picked up her sheathed sword and held it upright in one hand, adjusting the tassle with the other. "That is by teaching him jutsu and other things that don't require petty amounts of chakra to use. But before anything like that be done, his control must be refined to a higher level. If he tries the jutsu I have in mind with his current skill, the drain on his chakra coils would dearly cripple him."

Jiraiya, much like those that neither Aisha nor Naruto could see, was looking at her with a very surprised look on his face.

"So, you feel that knowledge of basic jutsu is beyond his grasp, but more advanced techniques are going to be easier for him to handle?" the Hokage asked. His face remained indifferent as he steadied his gaze on Naruto.

"Not that they are beyond his grasp, just that they will prove a fruitless waste of time at the current rate," Aisha responded. She replaced her sheathe in the back of her obi and turned to Naruto. "Don't you feel frustrated when you put so much effort into the clone jutsu and have it backfire just as you invoke it? Or how about the time you screwed up the substitution jutsu at last year's graduation exams?"

"Sounds about right," Naruto said with a dull look. "Always pissed me off too; now I see why the damn jutsu never panned out…"

"Then so be it; starting immediately, you shall be meeting with Aisha at whatever location she deems fit to instruct you. As such, Aisha shall be granted the same authority in this village as any other tokubetsu jonin in a time of peace. If, at any time the village finds itself at war, then her authority advances to that of ANBU captain." Sarutobi reached into a drawer of his desk and retrieved a hitai-ite with a black band and red-tinted plate bearing the Leaf insignia. "With that in mind, wear this at all times while within this village to inform everyone of your status in these ranks." He placed the headband on the desk and pushed it towards her.

Aisha picked it up delicately and examined it briefly before placing it in her obi, tucked away in a concealed pouch. "Thank you, Lord Hokage; I will see to it that Naruto will finally succeed in his goal to graduate."

"Here's a question for anyone to answer though: what am I supposed to do if I don't pass this year's exam? I've been thinking it over, and decided to just say 'fuck it, I'll take over Ichiraku's after a few years'," Naruto spoke up.

"Unfortunately Naruto, you do not have that luxury," Aisha said darkly. "You know that, consciously or not, as long as the Kyuubi rests behind the seal placed around your navel that your life will be nothing short of a mess. I am here to provide you the tools in which to guard yourself thusly."

Naruto simply nodded his head, seeing that it would be best to agree so he could get the fuck out of the Hokage's office and get back home.

"Naruto, Aisha, you two are now dismissed," Sarutobi said, nodding towards the door behind them. The clan leaders watched indifferently as the blonde teenager and his newly appointed tutor bowed respectfully to the Hokage and departed. Moments passed before Shibi Aburame spoke up to break the silence.

"Was it truly a wise decision to bring her of all people into this ordeal? I'm sure you realize that there _is_ more to their connection than just being comrades in burdens…"

"I know the facts, and the risks from involving certain parties at seemingly premature moments," Sarutobi confessed. "But given the circumstances, we must take any chances at safeguarding our home and its people."

There was silence amongst the rest of the gathered shinobi. Jiraiya was also quiet, tolling over the status of events in his home. Never had he thought to have to witness such events as to this.

[---]

The front door opened and closed with enough noise to break Ayame out of her daydreaming. She looked from her sprawled-out position in Naruto's chair to see him walk through the archway into the living room. "Naruto-kun!" she shrieked, jumped out of her chair and immediately tackle-glomped him to the floor.

"Shit Ayame-chan, gotta be careful!" he called out from under her. "I don't know how long I was out, but I just woke up a few hours ago in some fucking seal-cage to find out I was being the main course at a arguing feast of the village council."

Teuchi's head poked into the room from the archway and brightened greatly at the scene before him. "It's terrific seeing you again Naruto! I was afraid you'd never break from that coma."

Naruto smiled slightly, then managed to free his arm just enough to scratch his chin, noticing for the first time the fuzz there had grown quite a bit. "Speaking of comas, exactly how long has it been? Last date I remember was October seventh…"

"The date today is November twenty-fifth, Naruto," came Aisha's voice from the front door.

Upon hearing the new voice, Teuchi turned her way as Ayame blushingly stood up and peered into the hall. "Who are you, miss?" Ayame asked politely.

Aisha smiled and bowed. "I am known as Aisha of Spreyga, Naruto's new private tutor as of earlier this afternoon by appointment from Hokage Sarutobi."

"What do you mean, private tutor?" Teuchi asked.

"Simply stated, the council has agreed to pull Naruto out of the Academy for the remainder of the year so as to better teach him in the hopes of getting him to pass the graduation exam," she stated. She pulled the hitai-ite from her obi and presented it to the two of them as Naruto moved behind them and back in the hall. "As of today, until further notice, I'm a mercenary under contract with Konoha."

Ayame whistled as she saw the light from the lamp nearby bounce off the red metal.

"So where are you quartered, Aisha-sensei?" Naruto asked, hands behind his head. "I hope the old man managed to get you a better place to live than what he was barely able to supply me with. Before I came here."

"Actually, I was going to ask if I could possibly make space for myself here, similar to what the reports say you have Naruto."

"But how? All the earth-specialists are currently registered as ANBU, and the Hokage must be tying up loose ends right now," Teuchi said.

Aisha smiled yet again as she removed her sheathe and leaned it against the wall, tying her headband on it nearest the sword's hilt. "Need not worry about that; I am also a shinobi gifted with the affinity for earth jutsu. I can form my own space under the house without causing any disturbances."

Ayame and Teuchi nodded in wonder and moved to let her pass. As she passed Naruto, realization smacked him hard.

"Wait, I've been out for over a fucking MONTH?!" he yelled.

Ayame sweatdropped as she turned around to face him. "Yeah… You remember what happened after Temari got knocked out by that rock to the head?" Naruto nodded in response. "Well, it turns out that you must have contacted the demon because… You apparently used a couple of demon-jutsu…"

"Ah yes!" Aisha said. "According to Iruka's report, being that his was the least biased, you used a visibly defensive jutsu called 'Bladed Fog'; then after the rioters departed sans wounded and the medics came out, you used a 'Demon Regeneration' to heal Temari of the injuries that weren't taken care of by Yakushi. What did the most damage to you was that healing jutsu, as it turns out that the force of the blow to her head by a rock of that size did more than just knock her out. It actually shattered the bone and caused some of the shards to lodge into her brain."

"Of course I had to overdo it…" Naruto muttered into his hand.

"Cheer up Naruto," Teuchi said as he pushed the blonde down the hall and into his room. "You should see what the Suna Emissary has given you as a way to say thank you!"

What Naruto saw when he entered his room and flicked on the lights surprised him greatly. There, hanging on the opposite wall from his door was Temari's giant battle-fan, spread completely out. Hanging from one of the casing ends was a note that he read aloud.

"Dear Naruto-kun, I greatly appreciate what you did for me that day; please accept my fan as a token of my gratitude. – Temari."

"Hohohoho!" Teuchi bellowed. "Looks like you've got some competition for Naruto's heart!"

"DAD!" screamed the brunette. She dove at him from her vantage point a few stairs up and latched onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a choke-hold.

"You should feel honored Naruto," Aisha said as she examined the weapon where it hung. "It takes a lot for anyone to part with their weapon short of destroying it, and even then some people will go to great lengths to repair it rather than just replace it. For the envoy from Suna to do this shows both great respect and admiration."

Ayame was now hanging off her dad's back as he twirled around the center of the room, carefully attempting to dislodge her. "Come on Aya-chan, it's my duty as your father to embarrass you!" he pleaded.

"Did you have to do it with our guest present though?!" she demanded, attempting to swing her legs into position to latch around his waist. "You're going to _pay_ for that!"

Suddenly, there was a large growling heard throughout the room. The adults and brunette turned with wide eyes to see Naruto rubbing his stomach inc ircles, oddly talking softly to it. "What, never seen a guy have to verbally soothe his stomach after it growls?" he asked when he raised his head again. "Can we have dinner now? I haven't had a solid meal in over a month and a half!"

Ayame and Teuchi laughed at him as she finally released her father, Aisha merely blinking at her new student.

"Alright Naruto, we'll make you that birthday dinner you didn't get last month, how's that sound?" Teuchi said.

"Sounds like a fucking good plan to me, Teuchi!" Naruto said, kicking his sandals off and under the bed. He lifted his arms and sniffed each pit in turn, then looked at the others. "But first, I need a shower; apparently no one on the hospital staff made a note to even give me a damned sponge-bath…"

Teuchi and Aisha had already departed his room, leaving just him and Ayame before he realized it. The brunette looked behind her briefly before she rushed her childhood friend and glomped onto him again.

Naruto wrapped his arms around her back and nuzzled her hair as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her eyes clenched shut as hot tears began flowing, seeping into the fabric of his shirt quickly.

"Hey, hey, hey… It's alright, I'm back now…" he whispered softly.

Ayame gripped the front of his shirt tightly in her fists as she sobbed. She let her pent-up emotions erupt, unable to keep them at bay now that he was home.

"Promise me… (sniff) you won't do anything (sniff-sniff) like that again…" she asked softly.

"I can't promise you that, you know that. If I become a shinobi anyways… But if nothing goes right and I can't become a shinobi, then I won't have to risk my life…" he whispered quietly, stroking her hair.

Naruto looked up and didn't see anyone at the doorway, then at the rest of his room. Slowly, he started waddling the two of them over to his bed, and eased her down. He attempted to stand back up, but she held his shirt firmly in her grasp, not wanting to let him go without a fight. Rather than upset her further, Naruto simply slipped out of the smelly shirt and wrapped it around her. "Here, hold onto this; I _seriously_ need a shower. After that-"

Instead of complying peacefully, Ayame threw the shirt across the room and pulled him down onto the bed next to her. "Or maybe you just stay here and we sleep…" she commanded, her swollen eyes shutting as she flopped down and immobilized him with her arms around his chest and plopping her lower body across his. "No leaving for you…" she whispered, her sobbing ebbing away as her nostrils inhaled his rank odor.

Naruto sighed in defeat as he reached up and grabbed a fresh blanket from the end of his bed with one arm and a pillow with the other. Swinging the blanket over them, he nestled his head on the pillow before readjusting Ayame's weight across his body. "Nighty-night, Ayame-chan…" he whispered as she nuzzled up closer.

"Night… night, Naruto…kun," she replied before finally succumbing to slumber.

[---]

Teuchi crept back up the stairs from Naruto's doorway and smiled to himself.

"So it's going to just be us tonight?" Aisha asked from her seat at the dining room table.

"Yeah, she trapped him good and tight." Teuchi sat down across from the mercenary. "She's been so depressed since she saw ANBU carry him off the day that incident occurred at the Academy. I've actually had to shut the stand down for the last three weeks because I came home one day and she was running the point of one of his spare kunai up and down her arms."

Aisha raised an eyebrow as she raised a sake glass to her mouth. "Wow, either she's really in love with Naruto or she's mentally unstable. No offense," she added quickly before sipping at the warm liquid.

"None taken; it's really that life wasn't that easy for us after her mother died. Ayame thankfully doesn't remember it, as she was the only witness other than the killer." Teuchi looked sadly into his own sake glass as he thought. "She was brutally killed one night when she was coming back from picking up Ayame at a friend's house. She was originally going to be staying the night but an emergency arose. I was still at the stand, so Misa had to go. Just as she and Ayame were a few blocks away, some thug came up behind her and slit her throat, ignoring my little girl."

Aisha kept quiet, allowing the ramen chef a chance to go at his own pace. '_Not even a day passes and they already trust me…_'

"When I was on my way home only a few moments later, I found Ayame bawling on her knees over her mother's dead body…" he trailed off.

"Please, let's not discuss the dreadful past. What matters is that Naruto is awake, and better yet, has a much higher chance to pass the graduation exam this year," the ebon woman said after finishing her saucer. "So you know, Naruto's going to be undergoing very difficult training to make up for the years of neglect he's suffered in the Academy."

Teuchi perked up at this. "Really? Only time I've ever seen him work hard was when it came to getting some pocket cash from the Hokage doing errands or scrubbing dishes at the stand for us," he commented idly. "So what do you have in store for him?"

Aisha smiled darkly as she started eating her pork ramen. "Oh, believe me; it's going to be _hard_. You know the standard jutsu: clone, substitution, and transformation? Well, his issue with those stems from their low chakra cost put up against his enormous chakra supply. In short, he's just unable to use so little energy for the technique."

"So are you going to have him learn ways around the chakra cost?"

"No, I'm going to hone his control a bit more, and then he's going to learn more advanced jutsu of those categories that are more suited to someone of his level." Aisha wiped her mouth with the napkin and sipped a bit more from her saucer.

Teuchi slurped his chicken ramen slowly in thought.

"I have yet to decide where we're going to be training, but in the end I'll most likely utilize the roof of the school or perhaps the top of the Hokage Monument," she said, clapping her hands twice. "Well, thank you for the excellent dinner, Teuchi. I'll be sure to prepare a meal once or twice a week, to ease your burden."

"Oh you don't need to worry about that, Aisha. As a chef, cooking is no bother, whether it be at home or work," the man responded jovially. "Besides, I don't want you to short-hand Naruto's learning just so you can pitch in around here!"

"Oh it won't be a problem. Some of the control exercises will actually make more sense in the kitchen rather than outdoors or a classroom," Aisha smiled sweetly. "Anyways, I'll be off to bed. I'll work on my quarters tomorrow, demonstrating to Naruto some things in the process. Is it alright if I use the couch tonight?"

"Oh don't be absurd!" Teuchi said as he picked up the dishes. "With Ayame having Naruto captive downstairs tonight, you're more than welcome to take over her bed. She keeps her room spotless and rarely leaves anything out."

She covered a yawn as she took hold of her sheathe. "I won't argue with you this time. But tomorrow, I'll be shaping my space downstairs. It'lll be the same design as Naruto's, just a bit bigger and a few more changes." She followed Teuchi into the hallway as he headed to the kitchen. "Which room is hers?"

"It's the one closest to Naruto's stairs, on the right side," Teuchi said over his shoulder. He left the hall and into the kitchen, where Aisha could hear the running water of the sink and Teuchi humming to himself.

"Thanks, Teuchi…" she said quietly.

Without another word, she found the brunette's room and entered. She looked around after setting her weapon next to the bed against the wall briefly. '_Nothing on the walls except for a few pictures, odd for a normal girl… But then again, girls tend to hide their most personal mementos in other places. I'll leave her to her privacy as long as it doesn't interfere with Naruto-kun…_'

Rubbing her face with both hands, Aisha loosened and removed her obi, folded it and placed it on the bed. Letting her kimono fall off her shoulders, she gingerly picked it back up with ease between her big toe and pointer toe, hoisting it up behind her. Folding her kimono nicely and placing it on a nearby chair, the obi accompanied it. She then removed the bandages from her wrists and hands, hanging them with her clothes. Finally, she was just left in her abdominal bandages and black panties. She reached behind her back and untucked the lower end of her wraps, unraveling it in a neat pile, which soon joined the rest of her clothing.

Moving to the mirror on the back of the door, Aisha turned this way and that, watching the way her skin reflected the soft light from the bedside lamp. Her eyes then trailed down her chest to a ragged spiral tattoo centered around her belly button, causing her to grimace in anguish. '_Oh Kushina… I wish I could have done this sooner for you and Minato…_'

Returning to the bed, she flicked off the lamp and got in, curling up under Ayame's covers. She didn't make any noise after getting settled, but her tears flowed freely in place of her sobs.

[---]

"Fuck that was exhausting…"

"Hey, could have been harder; at least the soil in this village is softer than Spreyga," Aisha quipped. "Back home, we had to deal with glacial hardpan, the shit that survived the huge chunks of ice shaving this world's land masses into what we now populate."

Naruto flopped down on the floor of the large room he just helped finish. It ran as wide as his room was long, and three times as long as his was wide. The farthest third of the room sat a good two feet lower than the rest of the room as a three-foot high partition marked the differential. This new room was also a good bit deeper, by about ten feet with a winding staircase that split off from Naruto's.

The lowered section of Aisha's new room actually sat underneathe Naruto's, hence it being lower. Her room also had pillars at specific points in order to not undermine the integrity of the soil below the house and cause it to collapse suddenly.

"I still don't know how I'm going to get those techniques to work for me; if they're really stuff you've adapted from demon-jutsu, aren't those structured around the specific demon?" he asked, hand limply raised in the air from his position on his back on the floor.

Aisha fluffed the pillow in her hand and placed it on the earthen chair she finished a few moments earlier, sitting down firmly. "Don't worry, today's focused on you seeing what these techniques can do. In the next few days, I'm going to be showing you how to get in contact with your burden and see what it's going to take for it to work _with_ you during these ordeals, rather than _against_ you," she replied.

Naruto's arm dropped flatly back to his side in exasperation. "At least we didn't have to dig this shit out; would have taken forever, and there's no place we could have set the excess."

"That's the beauty of Tsukasa's unique powers as a tailed beast," She moved around on the pillow and settled back in the chair, crossing her ankles. "His field of expertise amongst the nine demon lords involves the six sense of perception divided amongst the three planes of existence."

"Huh?"

"Touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, and psyche. Those are the six levels of perception that all entities have to a degree. No matter how small or large that degree is, all living organism experience those six perceptions," Aisha said. She rubbed her hands on the arms of her chair, the smooth stone surface changing from flat to rounded as the material developed a glow. "Now, the three levels of existence are mind, body, and soul; the body plane refers to touch, taste, and smell; mind takes in sight and sound; and last, soul controls the psychic perceptions."

"So what, your demon grants you…?"

"Simply put, I can manipulate almost any form of matter through enough chakra control," Aisha stated. "That's why I, with your limited help which will be expounded in the months to come, was able to perform a task that would six times larger than your room in less than a fourth of the time."

Naruto flopped over onto his stomach and looked at his sensei. "Wonder what 'field of expertise' Kyuubi's majored in back in 'demon university'…"

"In due time Naruto. Starting next week, I will be showing you how to contact and barter, if necessary, with the demon that resides in your gut. You're only the second container I've met and assisted, but hopefully you'll be the last…" Aisha trailed off softly.

"So you've found another one… of us?" he asked depressed. "Where are they from?"

"Nii Yugito is a kunoichi of Kumo, and bears the burden of the two-tailed cat demon Nibi. Her demon's specialty is that of fire and demon-fire, an ethereal flame that burns cold but burns eternal. You could get touched by demon-fire and not know it until you see the flames crawling on you, consuming everything you are," she answered. "Hopefully, you'll never have to fight her. She wasn't as fortunate as you were: she was forced from birth to become a weapon for her village, an unstoppable force to be reckoned with the coming of the Fourth Great Shinobi War."

"Ugh…" Naruto slammed his face into the floor at hearing this. "I hate having to pay attention. Flying by the seat of my pants makes things so much easier…"

Aisha shook her head. "Unfortunately Naruto, you can't always rely on your quick wits to save you."

"I know… But it's just…" he trailed off, unable to find the right words to complete his rebuttal.

"…Easier?" came a new voice from the stairway.

Naruto's head slowly rose from the floor with a dark look on his face. '_Fuck, it _can't_ be her…_'

Aisha spied Etna from the entrance to her room and noted the weapon in her hand and her overall appearance. "So, you must be the succubus that Tsukasa noticed invading Naruto's mind while he was in that coma…"

"I'm flattered that old coot of a dragon would even be able to remember me, it has been so long since I actually last saw him after all," came Etna's voice, much closer to Naruto this time.

The blonde tried to crawl in his fingers and toes to get away but failed as the demon girl pinned him down by shoving the butt of her weapon in between his ass cheeks. "WHAT THE FUCK!?" he screamed. He never had wanted anything to go _in_ that, not even a doctor's examining fingers, much less a metal pole that felt like it weighed a couple hundred pounds.

Etna twisted the haft around in her hand as she leveled her gaze on the back fo his head. "This is the least I can do to return the _favor_ you gave me! After all, it's rude to leave the dinner table before your guest is finished eating, you know!?" she roared. She deftly lifted her weapon, and as she was going to jam it further up the blonde container's ass hole she found a very wide and intricately etched sword blade hovering an inch from her throat.

Aisha was now standing, the eye tattoo on her forehead visible and glowing crimson as she stared at Etna earnestly. "Drop your polearm, or you will see what it's like to play the part of the headless chicken…" she said in a very low tone. Her left arm stretched out in front of her with her fingertips barely in contact with the pommel of her sword.

Etna sweatdropped and hoisted her weapon away. "Hey now, no reason to get pushy…" she said, tossing her weapon towards the doorway and holding her hands up in defeat.

"When it comes to demons such as you, I do not take my chances, especially when it comes to my apprentices," Aisha stated firmly, lowering her sword from Etna's throat to her crotch. "Even more so with demons who sexually molest their victims to feed their hunger…"

"Hey now, I do not molest people!" the succubus roared, her eyes bursting with flame. "I only seduce them! What happens after that is mutual!"

'_Fuck, just reminded me of how Lee would get when defending his life's dream of 'becoming a splendid ninja even without the ability to mold chakra…_' Naruto thought as he scrambled away, taking shelter behind Aisha's chair. Last thing he wanted to do was explain to Ayame and Teuchi why he was in the hospital from getting caught in the middle of a supernatural cat-fight in the sub-basement of their once ground level home.

"That only applies to adults in this world, demoness," Aisha hissed, nudging the tip of her sword into Etna's miniskirt. "While Naruto may or may not know exactly what you are, that still does not qualify putting him as the main course for your dining experience." She punctuated her meaning by thrusting her sword farther in between Etna's legs.

"HEY HEY HEY!" the little demon girl screamed, jumping away and landing right behind her weapon. "I didn't come for any of this kinky shit, not today anyways."

Aisha narrowed her eyes as Naruto poked his head out from behind the chair, both of them giving her doubtful looks.

"I'm only here to deliver this to Naruto," Etna stated, pulling the waistband of her skirt out, fishing around in her panties and pulling out a box. She placed it on the floor and promptly kicked it over to the boy completely phasing through the ebon mercenary. "Prince Laharl says, and I quote, "Since the damned fox is sealed inside that human brat, then the brat will have to get ready for war instead! Make sure that he gets this box, and learns to use what's in it for the moment I call upon him. Whether or not he likes it, that stupid human now is one of my vassals until he either dies or lets the fox loose!'"

Idly picking up the large box, Naruto placed it on his lap while keeping a wary eye on Etna, Aisha not letting her eyes off the succubus for a second. Sure that he would be fine, the blonde peeked inside the box. Laying on a velvet cushion sat a scroll with a fox head emblazoned in wax over the end to keep it sealed and a pair of strange objects. He gingerly touched them with weary eyes.

"That scroll's from Kyuubi's den, and those are known as 'the fox-fists'; simply put, they're designed to imitate fox claws and are designed for close-quarters combat," Etna explained. "Just be ready to use those when the Prince calls for you: I don't know exactly when that's going to be though. Could be tomorrow, could be fifty years from now."

He picked up the 'fox-fists' and examined them. They were gloves of a sort, plating on the back of them with straps that resembled the bandages Aisha wore around her hands. Along the plate on the back he saw strange marks that resembled claws, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"I asked the next-in-line kitsune back in the Netherworld, and he said that there should be a seal on the palm strap that you focus a bit of energy into. That triggers the markings on the backs to encase your fingers and thumb in metal, giving you the strength and manual dexterity of the Kyuubi," Etna responded. "Now, I'm off! I have to go inform the Prince that not only have I confirmed the location of Kyuubi, but also the six-tailed dragon and now am moving on to locate Mao, that mangy cat!"

In a puff of magenta smoke she was gone, leaving behind a picture of her in her 'other' form signed and labeled 'for Naruto's collection'.

"So this is what she _really_ looks like Naruto?" His sensei asked, holding the picture up as he put the weapons back in the box and replaced the lid.

"Yeah, that's how she was when she… tried to fuck my brains out while I was in a coma," he admitted. "Least I woke up before she did something worse…"

Aisha's ears perked up at the tonee in his voice and her eyes twinkled in mischievous glee. "Oh? And what _did_ she do?"

"Essentially? She used her tail to try and jerk me off while she sat on my face to get herself off," he answered dully. "I think she was about ready to tear my pants open and jump me if I hadn't faded out of my mindscape."

"**Oh yes, that little sex-show she put on…**" came the Kyuubi's voice.

"What the fuck?" Naruto asked sharply. "Did you hear that too, Aisha-sensei? Or am I just losing it already from having too many demons trying to claim residency in my skull?"

"**I assure you Kit that you aren't losing it. The raccoon that was captured by those fools in Suna is the one whose going to cause his container to go absoulutely bat-shit though…**" the voice spoke again.

"Since when could you actually project your voice, fox?" Naruto asked flatly. "This is the first time you've done it. Why now though?"

Aisha watched on with a careful eye, then noticed something. "Naruto, I don't think it's that he's so much _projecting_ his voice as he's speaking through your body, using you as a medium between his prison and the outside world…" she noted calmly.

"**You are correct, she who smells of dragons. Or shall I just follow the lead my container set and call you 'Aisha-sensei'?**" came a cheeky response.

"Nyahhhhh, stop doing this!" Naruto yelled, clutching his head. "No more talking until we get an agreement made over this kind of stuff! You're freaking the hell out of me when you do it!"

"**Alright Kit, we'll work **_**something**_** out. Until then, just know that thanks to Etna I've got a connection to your five senses. Everything you interact with, I'll know it too…**"

Silence filled the air as the blonde awaited any more remarks, but thankfully the fox had done what it said.

"Whew, at least it went away for the moment," Naruto said. He plopped down on the floor and pulled the box back to him, looking at the weapons one last time before putting them down. His eyes spotted the scroll with the wax seal.

"It's up to you when you look at the scroll," Aisha said, sheathing her blade. The sheathe floated over and leaned against the low wall not far from her chair as she reclaimed her seat. "I received a similar scroll from Tsukasa's regent. It contained a synopsis of his origins, an overview of his duties and such."

"So… it's really mostly going to be Kyuubi's resume huh?"

"In a sense, yes. Originally, the scroll bearing his waxed seal that a demon lord of the Netherworld gives to someone is intended to be a passing of the torch," Aisha continued. "In short, the Kyuubi has been forced to shift his normal duties over to you, in both this and the Netherworld."

Naruto immediately flopped back onto the floor and flung his legs out from him. "Well, guess that takes care of what I'm going to end up doing with my life, huh?"

His sensei looked at him with a very surprised look on her face, not understanding what he just said. "What? You don't have a goal, a dream, an aspiration in life? You're just going to wander aimlessly?"

"When I was still in the orphanage after having Kyuubi shoved in me, all I knew was that I was going to be a ninja and work for the respect I never got. Then, I was thrown out of the orphanage almost ten years ago, and I would have easily died that very night had I not met Ayame-chan and Teuchi. Ever since then, I've been living here with them, helping out at the stand doing dishes during off-days from the Academy and on vacation days where business was gonna be busy. Otherwise, it was studying with Ayame-chan in my room after we got home from the Academy."

"So wait, your little girlfriend was also going to the Academy? What happened there?" Aisha placed an elbow on her knee and rested her chin in her open palm.

He waved a hand in the air above him dismissively. "We found that I was having issues with the jutsu in senior year, so she focused mostly on trying to help me understand what the hell was going wrong. She really only went into the Academy with me because she wanted to be around me. She wasn't too worried about passing or failing the exam, more about whether I did or not," he explained. "As you know, I failed the first time around when we were in class together by a big differential. Then last year, I barely failed the written portion, combined with having fucked up the substitution jutsu and bombing on the clone jutsu, caused me to fail last year too."

"What was your plan in life if you fail this year as well?" she asked curiously. "As you know, a village only gives a prospective ninja three attempts at its graduation exam."

"Got it covered," he answered simply. "If I failed this year, the original plan was for us to close up shop and find someplace quiet, out of the way, where they hadn't been involved in the Kyuubi disaster. Most likely, we would have gone off to Wave Country or possibly headed towards the Village Hidden in the Grass. I've always wanted to see their famous spice markets."

"Well, you don't have much of a choice anymore Naruto. At this point, it's either become a ninja now, run through a natural shinobi life for a couple or so decades, die and then live the rest of eternity in the Netherworld as the new vassal in Kyuubi's stead, or you could just travel to the Netherworld right now and start your duties there immediately," Aisha said. "Personally, I've been thinking of making that trip lately."

"What's stopping you? Seems like you'd be perfect vassal material," Naruto quipped dryly.

Next thing he knew, Naruto found his sensei's ankle landing hard between his eyes.

"Don't get smart, little jackass," Aisha growled. Retracting her foot after pushing his head down into the floor a little, she leaned over and looked him in the eyes. "Only reason I haven't departed is because I have a few loose ends to handle."

"Yeah, like what?" he asked, rubbing the site of impact with both index fingers gingerly.

She smirked as she moved closer, only a couple inches separating their noses. Her white hair formed a veil around them. "For one thing, the most important task I have to finish involves _you_…" she whispered, closing the gap and kissing the tip of his nose softly. She sat back up to where she was before, smiling sweetly at him again. "As to _how_ it involves you, that's something for when you're ready."

"So how are you going to decide I'm ready" he asked. He sat up and turned around to face her fully.

"Simple: you will, unknowingly, be presented with a most troublesome decision."

"Huh." He stretched his arms out and looked around. "Is there anything else keeping us here? I'm pretty damned hungry."

"Alright, fine," Aisha said in defeat. "We might as well go eat; after that, we need to find a place to truly start your preparation."

Naruto got to his feet and lifted the box, placing the lid back on it and headed up the stairs. "See you in a minute; have to stow this stuff so no one can get to it…"

"Alright Naruto; I'll be outside when you're ready." Aisha picked up her weapon and slid it in place in the back of her obi. Sure that everything else could wait, she ascended the stairs.

As she came to the section where hers met Naruto's original stairs, she peeked around his corner and saw him standing with his back to her. Noting the opportunity, she placed two fingers to her forehead, her tattoo glowing a light blue when it appeared. Drawing a string of chakra from it, she attached it to the center of Naruto's door. '_There, now I'll be able to make sure everything goes well._'

Without a noise, she snuck up the stairs and looked around, noting the layout of the house for the first time during daylight hours. '_Nice enough for a small family, originally only meant for tradesman. It will be fine for our needs._'

Aisha moved down the hall and slipped into her crimson sandals, the sound of Naruto's foot falls coming up the stairs. With a quick motion, she flung his sandals at him with one and opened the door with the other. "Let's go. We should have actually gone looking for a training site sooner, but I needed my quarters before then. Don't expect to dilly-dally long for lunch this time, Naruto."

"Yes, Aisha-sensei," he responded, slipping into his own black sandals. He went through the door and waited long enough for her to close the door behind her and join him. "Where would you suggest?"

"Well, except for the stand that Teuchi owns, only other place I've been able to get into lately was the barbeque place that the Akimichi clan owns and operates," he admitted. "It's really a nice place; run mostly by the non-combat members of the clan, with the clan leader doing the majority of the cooking unless he goes out on missions."

"Well, then let us go and have some barbeque; I would like to meet the Akimichi leader if I could." She adjusted her sheathe, making sure that her mercenary hitai-ite visible. "Plus, eating the same thing all the time isn't good for you. At least your growth isn't as stunted as some teenagers your age."

"Nah, last night was merely part of the rotation," Naruto said as he moved down the street. "Normally, we only have ramen once a week, except on birthdays or other rare occasions…"

[---]

"This Academy is a lot different than I expected."

"Well, not much really goes on here," Naruto responded. "Any idea where you wanna go here?"

"Easy: to your class."

Before Naruto could counter, she placed a hand on his shoulder and then they switched from the front gate to the front of the senior class podium in a split second.

"…and that's how-" Iruka was saying, until there was a very explosive reaction from his students. He cocked his head to the side and scratched his chin, then noticed Kabuto disguising the use of his left hand to scratch his upper lip to tell the older chunin to turn and look behind him.

But the 'surprise' was ruined as several distinct voices rang out just as he caught the hint.

"Naruto…"

"WHISKERS!?"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Hey dude!"

"Troublesome…"

"(munchmunch) Hey man."

"Hello Uzuamki."

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Naruto-kun…"

If Iruka had not turned just in time, he would have been bowled over by three very energetic kunoichi-hopefuls. Two with the intent to kill Naruto, one with the intent to glomp him.

Kabuto managed to grab Ino's ponytail while Iruka grabbed the sleeve of Sakura's dress, both knowing that Temari was _not_ bent on killing him.

Not with a painful method at least.

"Naruto-kun!" the Suna emissary exclaimed as she tackle-glomped him to the floor. "I've been waiting for you to come see me! Did you receive my gift?" she asked hurriedly.

"(cough) Yeah, thanks, Temari. It was a real shock," he admitted, trying to catch his breath.

The female blonde helped him up by latching onto his left arm, her eyes never leaving him. "It truly was the least I could do, after hearing from the doctors what happened!"

"It was nothing; I just wish it hadn't kicked me unconscious for over a month…"

"We're going to kill you Naruto!" Ino screamed, struggling the best she could against Kabuto's grip of her. "Sasuke-kun _still_ isn't cleared for taijutsu, and he's paying even less attention to us than before!"

"Yeah you stupid idiot!" Sakura chimed in, Iruka having to restrain her by both arms rather than risk losing grip on her single sleeve. "And I was _this close_ to finally proving myself worthy of him!"

Naruto scratched the fuzz that now covered his chin entirely in thought. "But how is it possible that he could pay _less than no attention_ to you?" he asked with a straight face.

Both girls growled fiercely at that remark and began to struggle harder, their eyes lighting ablaze with passion.

"Damn! Are you guys serious or just trying to impersonate Lee and his sensei?" Naruto asked with less emotion than before.

"Okay, Kabuto, can you please take these two girls down to the spar zone and let them hone their aim with kunai and shuriken?" Iruka hurriedly shoved Sakura's arms into Kabuto's awaiting grasp. Just as she freed an arm, Kabuto used a Konoha-version of the body-flicker jutsu to get the ticking time-bomb students out of the area.

"I am sorry for the intrusion and interruption Iruka," Aisha started as she took off her sheathe, standing it on end with her hitai-ite facing forward. "I was just wishing to meet those in his previous learning environment before I commence with Naruto's private tutoring for the graduation exam this year."

Whispers started spreading amongst the students, mostly the males, about the hot chick that had suddenly appeared and with the 'idiot loser' of all people. Iruka spotted the red glimmer from her specialized headband plate and instinctively nodded. "Of course, that won't be a problem. If you'd like, you two can spend the rest of the day with us. We still have a few hours until the end of class, so please sit back where Naruto customarily sat," he said, pointing to the back row on the right for illustration.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said as he walked past and headed up the stairs. He ignored the chatter his classmates were making and pulled out the chair next to his 'throne' when Aisha arrived.

Aisha, however, paid close attention to the murmurs and whispers she heard.

"How the fuck does he get all the luck?!"

"I wouldn't call it luck so much as privileges…"

"If that's a privilege for a mere nobody, then a clan heir like me should get a chick _twice_ that hot!"

"(munch) She is attractive, but I don't see the appeal… (munchmunch) At least she seems to know good food. (munch) I can smell my dad's 'katon: curry surprise' ribs floating off her weapon."

"From what my father told me of the meeting, it was arranged this way to secure the safety of the village economy; prevent the separation of the clans by removing the largest combustible factor from a bonfire waiting to happen rather than pamper the last of the Uchiha."

"So you're saying that if they'd assigned her to tutor Sasuke, all the clans would turn against each other?"

"From the way my old man explained it, it's like this: Naruto gets taken out of the class and gets a tutor; this helps him graduate and leaves the rest of us to study peacefully like we have been up to this point. But if we'd seen _Sasuke_ with this tutor, we'd all get jealous of his 'special treatment' and one thing would lead to another, with the clans tearing the shinobi sect of the village apart and causing the prominent source of our community's income to instantly die, killing off the civilian sect as well in the wake of the turmoil."

"Fuck ass, I've told you to not use such big words… You're making my brain hurt now!"

"Hn… Lucky bastard…Gets out of class."

Temari took the spot on Naruto's other side, apparently where she had been sitting since the incident the month before. "It's really good to see you again, Naruto-kun. I was worried about you, and no one I asked would tell me even if you were still alive or not…" she whispered, placing her right hand over his left and rubbing it slightly.

Without turning his head from Iruka as he continued on about whatever it was he and Aisha had disturbed, Naruto responded. "Yeah, I was apparently in a coma from the instant after I saw the Hokage arrive on the scene up until yesterday's council meeting. Suck-part was, I woke up _in_ the meeting to find myself restrained in a sealed body-cage."

"Should be thankful that's all they put you in," she said. "I was barely able to help the Hokage make the council see you weren't responsible for what happened. They were about to throw you in a stasis-tank and keep you on limited body functions for a year, or until they felt they could get rid of you quietly…"

Just as Naruto felt her hand squeeze his harder, he felt Aisha tap him on the shoulder.

"Keep in mind that we're merely here observing for today _only_ Naruto. After the day is over, I will be speaking with Iruka; you can do what you want. But remember that we start first thing after breakfast. I'll be sure to tell you tonight where we're going to work," she said firmly.

"Sure thing Aisha-sensei," he replied.

Temari grinned and turned her face slightly towards him more, making sure to keep her attention somewhat on their instructor below. "Hey Naruto-kun, wanna go see a really nice place I found a couple weeks ago after class? It's not far."

He nodded his head speechlessly, noting out of the corner of his eye the blush on her cheeks.

Iruka prattled on about the traits of ninjutsu and what separated them from genjutsu and taijutsu, occasionally asking or answering questions. Class went on for another three hours before the last bell rang.

Aisha made her way down the stairs to the podium after affirming that she'd see Naruto back at the house, causing several male students to develop grins, drool, nosebleeds, or a mix of the three.

"Iruka, may we go to the teacher's lounge to discuss a few points I need to know about?" she asked, placing her sheathe back in place.

Iruka neatened his papers and attached them to his clipboard as Kabuto kept an eye on the departing students. Ino and Sakura he had managed to tether to their target dummies with chakra strings so he could return and perform his duties, promising he'd release them after Naruto and his sensei had left school grounds.

"Of course, Aisha. Anything I can offer you in helping Naruto graduate, just let me know and I'll do what I can. Right this way," he motioned outside to the hall. She inclined her head to Kabuto as she passed through the door and followed Iruka.

'_Having Aisha of Spreyga around will prove to be an interesting twist in Lord Orochimaru's plans…_' the young chunin thought, adjusting his glasses.

One by one, all the students left with Sasuke being the first one out. Kabuto waved goodbye to Temari and Naruto as he left, the two of them still sitting in the back of the room.

"Shouldn't Mizuki be coming by soon, to you know, puppy-guard you?" Naruto asked as they soon also left the classroom and subsequently the school building.

"You must not have seen him," Temari started, taking his left arm back in her own arms, "but he was actually one of the shinobi that had initially started that riot last month."

"Huh. What happened to those people, anyway?"

Temari shook her head. "I only know that Mizuki was put on gate duty for his participation. After he works off that charge, he's headed out as a messenger between Konoha and Suna for two years for having abandoned his post as my escort."

Naruto chuckled at that. "Sounds like he actually got off easy. Normally, people would have been killed for starting a riot that wasn't in defense of the village, or at the very least being banished."

After that, neither of them spoke as the Suna kunoichi led him silently around. She finally stopped as they were standing near the top of one of the waterfalls inside the village boundaries.

She let go of his arm and walked close to the river, kneeling down gently and looking down at the water's surface as the sun started to cast different colors into the sky while dipping lower.

"No one ever did what you did back when I was in Suna…" she said, finally breaking the silence.

"You mean, that you were targeted by rioters in your own village too?" he asked, stepping closer and sitting next to her.

"Not me specifically, they were after my youngest brother Gaara." She watched the rippling water mirror the colors of the sky as they changed aided by the soaring clouds above. "I don't know why even my own father didn't do something about at least protecting _me_…"

"You're kidding. No guy in his right mind would allow danger to come to his daughter while in her own home…"

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "Honestly, I had to almost kill my twin brother in order to be the emissary. My father was originally planning to send me off to another village as a _gift_ to their leader to forge that alliance."

"Well, you should at least be thankful you know yours; I'm an orphan of when the nine-tailed fox demon attacked us out of the blue. I never even knew mine." Naruto said as he laid back on the grass. "My folks were most likely people who were merely passing through the village at the time, because I never found record of any other Uzumaki in the village," he lied. She may be getting to be closer to him, but she was still the daughter of another village's leader. He wasn't about to let on that he was secretly the love child of the Fourth Hokage so soon.

"I'd rather have grown up with your life…" Temari whispered.

"Trust me, you would rather keep your own past than go through mine," he responded. "If you think being included as a riot's target when out with your little brother, you don't want to imagine what it's like being the mob's real target."

Temari turned her head towards him, tears staining her cheeks. "You know what it's like?"

"Yeah…" he admitted. "Part of the suck that is my life is that my birthday is that of the day the Kyuubi nearly destroyed this village. People used to want to kill me, saying that I was a bad omen, having been the reason why the demon had come to attack us."

'**Nice one, Kit. Never expected you to hide the truth in such a beautiful lie…**' came the demon's voice in his head.

'_Merely rearranging some of the events of that day really…_'

She wiped her arm over her eyes, clearing away the fresh tears long enough to clearly see Naruto's face as she laid down on her side, curled up next to him. Her arms snaked around him softly as she placed her head next to his chest, able to listen to his breathing. In turn, he wrapped an arm over her back and started slowly rubbing up and down her spine.

'_Hope Ayame or Teuchi don't come looking…_'

The two blondes laid on the bank for a while, one listening to the heart of her savior as the savior watched the colors and clouds pass by. When he started to hear light snoring from his left, Naruto perked his head up and saw that Temari had indeed fallen asleep next to him.

"Good thing no one's come looking for us yet…" Naruto said, loosening Temari's hold on him. As he was standing up, a strange sound tugged at his ear.

Reacting by pure instinct, Naruto ducked down and watched as a fuuma shuriken whizzed overhead, right through where his stomach would have been.

"Dammit, I missed!" came a familiar voice.

He traced the shuriken's path back and found a silver-haired chunin standing on a lower branch of a tree not far off.

"What the fuck is your problem, Mizuki?" Naruto called out.

Catching the weapon, Mizuki glared at the blonde with hatred in his eyes. "_You_ are my problem, demon!" He jumped from his branch and landed a few yards away from Naruto, eyes never leaving him. "You've been a thorn in this village's foot ever since you were used to trap the demon fox! And now, you've cost me almost everything I've worked so hard for!"

Naruto slipped into a defensive stance, noting his opponent's grip on the oversized shuriken. '_Fuck… Can't do anything as long as Temari is still here…_' "You know the law Mizuki: mentioning the truth about the events of that day to anyone outside the village or civilian under the age of twenty is treason punishable by death."

"And who's going to enforce that stupid old fart's obscene law _here_?" Mizuki sneered. He poised his arm to throw again, waiting for his moment. "Don't think you'll be able to take me on, Naruto! You may have gotten the jump on those two idiots in the shop, and surprised those villagers, but they were inexperienced! I've been working in the school since I became chunin, over eight years ago!"

"So what?" the container asked, slipping his emergency kunai out of his sleeves. He gripped them snugly with the points going out from his small fingers, biding his time. "Just means you're getting on in the years. You seem to have forgotten a few things…"

"Like what?" the silver-haired shinobi demanded. "You can't control that beast you've started to become! I'm a fully trained ninja! I won't need to even break a sweat to smear your carcass against this forest!" As he finished his statement, he launched his readied weapon, deadset on impaling Naruto in the gut with it.

"You're forgetting that I was outrunning ANBU shinobi at the age of eight!" Naruto responded, swinging to the side just as the fuuma sliced through where he had just been. "I've got more stamina than you do, I don't have to fight back; I can just outlast you!" he called back, nicking the tip of the large weapon before it got too far.

"You don't have _that_ much stamina, demon brat! When it came to those ANBU, they were given orders to not detain you immediately, the Hokage saw it as a way to privilege you with attention!" Mizuki readied his second shuriken when he noticed the first was nowhere to be seen at this point.

Naruto couldn't stand this predicament much longer. He didn't know if he really _could_ win at this point, and especially not while guarding Temari. '_How am I going to end this?_' he asked himself. '_Think, idiot, think!_'

'**Would you like my help once more, Kit?**" came Kyuubi's voice, earnest in it's intent.

'_No! Not after what happened last time; I can't afford to spend any more valuable time in a coma!_' he shot back, waiting anxiously for Mizuki to make his next move.

'**Who said I'd be opening a chakra valve this time?**' came its response. '**I'm merely offering you the assistance of someone from Netherworld.**'

'_I don't have time to learn to summon! Hell, I've barely got time to think!_'

'**(laughs) Then it's a good thing this **_**isn't**_** a summons I'm offering. You're still too inexperienced to try that,**' Kyuubi retorted. '**I merely have to invoke their name; the rest is up to you afterward though…**'

Mizuki charged at him with his fuuma readied to stab him in the chest.

'_FINE! DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO!_' he mentally roared.

Several things happened in the five seconds that passed from Naruto agreeing and Mizuki's getting within striking range.

First, the blonde was enveloped in a light red glow, leading to his demeanor changing completely. Next, he opened his mouth and spoke: "**Come Forth, Sandralia!**" Before he knew it, Mizuki found himself flying backwards as the result of being smashed in the face by a metal gauntlet.

'**Like I said, I brought you some help; everything else is up to you now.**'

The tinge to Naruto's aura diminished as Mizuki landed on the ground hard. It took him a moment to regain his bearings, first of all being the newcomer to the scene.

Standing two feet in front of him, there was a distinctly female figure dressed in black leather for armor, metal plating in various places to protect particular points. She wore heavy metal-shod boots and gauntlets that looked even heavier. Her lime green hair spiked out in all directions as her pale skin reflected the colors of the setting sun.

"Hail to the vassal's vessel," she said over her shoulder. "I am Sandralia, a pugilist created by the Vassal Demon, Kyuubi. As such, I do as he beckons."

"Well that's nice to know," Naruto said, listening intently for something specific. "Right now, I need you to protect the girl behind me: I've got plans for the one you knocked away…"

"Yes, lord," she said with no uncertainty. The pugilist moved backwards and around Naruto, allowing her to retain sight of Mizuki who was now barely starting an attempt to stand.

"I'll… get y-you…demon." His words came out in gasps, pain from a broken cheek and mandible starting to sink into his central nervous system. "If it kills me to do so, I'm at least going… to make sure… you go with me!"

"That's what you think," Naruto smirked darkly. "You seem to have disregarded what happened to your first fuuma shuriken, Mizuki."

"You idiot… That…useless thing's gone!" he huffed out, standing on one knee at this point.

"You must have missed the fact that I changed its course when I tapped it with my kunai," Naruto said, holding up his left hand to show the knife missing half its length. "May have cost me a really good kunai I just bought, but in the end, a single kunai is a drop in the bucket."

Mizuki glared hard at the teenager before him, his attention then focusing on something his ears picked up in the distance.

"And here it comes now…" Naruto softly announced. He held out his left arm, hand releasing the useless kunai. Mizuki stared at him hard before seeing the angle of return on the weapon he first used.

'_There's no fucking way he could…_'

"You there, halt!" came the voice of a masked ANBU agent as it appeared from the trees. "Cease all activities at once!"

"Should have been here five minutes ago you fucking retard," the blonde growled.

"I said to stop! Now put your hands down and get on your knees before I have to use force!" the ANBU ordered again.

Naruto closed his eyes as he felt the weapon near. Time slowed down for everyone conscious in the area as they witnessed an unbelievable sight.

Just as the ANBU went to step in, the fuuma shuriken flew into Naruto's reach, He shot his hand down, grabbing the handle in the center of the weapon and remarkably began to spin in a clockwise motion.

Mizuki looked on in horror as he realized what was going on. '_How the fuck could he have managed to do _this_…?_'

"No way…" whispered the stunned ANBU.

He spun in place several rotations before finally aiming and releasing the large shuriken. Mizuki's eyes shriveled in horror to the size of dots as the very tool he had intended to use as the instrument of the 'death of the demon child' was turned against him.

Time picked up as soon as the fuuma shuriken tore through Mizuki's head, entering through his mouth and just slicing and tearing everything in its wake on the way out.

The ANBU couldn't help but be awestruck at the event it just witnessed. Never had they encountered such a perfectly executed maneuver.

Temari seemed to magically awaken once all the intense pressure in the area had dissipated with Mizuki's last breath. She immediately smelled the rank odor of death as the smell of fresh blood assaulted her nose. "What... what happened?" she whispered. Then she saw the gaunt figure standing between her and Naruto face her, lime-green eyes soft but uncaring.

"You were under the affect of what you would call a 'sedative mist'," she said. "For some reason, the Vassal was unaffected. During the time you were unconscious, he," she pointed at the upper half of Mizuki's skull as it landed flat on its sliced surface, his body falling forward as his life-blood poured out of his exposed oral cavity, "attacked with intent to kill the Vassal. I was beckoned, and I hearkened. Such is my duty."

"Naruto-kun!" Temari screamed. She scrambled to her feet and tried to get to him, but the other woman held her back. "What are you doing, let me go!"

"Now is not the time for emotions. There are certain procedures that must be resolved before anyone does anything out of rationality."

Suddenly, three more ANBU arrived on scene, one wearing a white cloak. "Report, Monkey. What was the disturbance you came to investigate," the squad captain ordered.

"Honestly sir, I'm not too sure at the moment…" the first agent responded. "After I attempted to halt the event, things were immediately halted."

"But it doesn't look like they ended _peacefully_," muttered one of the other ANBU, this one wearing the wolf mask.

"I sense a fading genjutsu in the area…" said the falcon-masked ANBU. "It seems to have been created upstream and using the river as its courier, came down and made contact with its targets."

"Can you tell what this genjutsu's purpose was?" asked the leader, their owl-mask betraying nothing.

Falcon paused as it went over to the river and ran it's fingers over the surface of the water. "Apparently, it was focused as a sedative, meant to render any that came in contact with the water unconscious for a short period of time."

"Alright," Owl said. It turned it's attention towards Naruto and his hunched figure. "Uzumaki, come over here. We need to talk."

The blonde nodded wordlessly and dropped the kunai he still held in his right hand. Before moving, he also dropped his vest to the ground. Taking a look back over his shoulder, he nodded to Sandralia and slowly walked over to Owl. Wolf kept its full attention focused on him as the other two ANBU agents went to work writing down every little detail of the scene.

"What happened here, and why is the Suna envoy involved?" Owl asked bluntly.

"Simple: Mizuki's had it out for me since I was born," Naruto started, patting his stomach discretely to signal the real truth. "As to why Temari is here, she wanted to bring me here after class."

"But you were removed from class to receive private tutoring; what were you doing in the Academy?" Wolf asked curiously.

"My teaching methods are mine alone to understand, Wolf," came Aisha's voice from the other side of the river.

"Please tell me you weren't standing there the whole time, Aisha-sensei…" Naruto asked sourly.

"No, I've only been here since just after your pugilist arrived. That massive spike in the flow caught the attention of _everyone_ capable of sensing chakra in the entire village," Aisha answered as she made her way across the river and stood next to Naruto. "The reason we were at the Academy this afternoon was to gauge the way his former classmates truly regarded him and to see how different factors in that environment contributed to the current situation. If you want anything more," she said, planting the end of her sheathe n the ground and wiped some dust off her hitai-ite, "you will need to get permission from the Hokage first."

"Of course, Lady," Owl answered. The ANBU squad leader turned back to Naruto and asked, "What exactly happened, be quick and explicit. The sooner we catalog the evidence and gather witness statements, the sooner this can be… swept under the rug."

"Basically, Mizuki apparently used a genjutsu in the hopes of knocking both of us unconscious. Since I didn't touch the water, makes sense I wasn't affected. After the Suna envoy and me laid down on the bank, he appeared. Threw his first of two fuuma shuriken, I dodged, it came back to him. Verbal commentary took place, he threw the first one again after I pulled out a kunai in each hand. I dodged it and used the kunai in my left hand to readjust its course. More conversation of sorts, he charged in with the second fuuma, Sandralia arrived and knocked him back, she takes over guarding Temari, I stall just long enough for the first fuuma to return, Monkey arrived, was witness to me turning Mizuki's own weapon against him. The resulting 'reunion' of master and tool is just as you see now."

Owl looked around the area, noticing everything it could. "Alright then, Uzumaki. For the time being, you and your sensei are permitted to leave."

"And Temari?" Naruto asked, his eyebrow raised dangerously.

"Given her status and the current situation, Falcon will be escorting her back to her domicile," Owl replied. "It is utmost important that we place the life of a dignitary amongst the top of our priorities, as the last thing we want to do is cause a war that is avoidable."

Monkey and Falcon put their tools away as Wolf picked up Mizuki's severed 'head'. "What are we going to do about this one, sir?"

"Incinerate the body and churn the soil; many of the villagers come through here on a constant basis, so we don't need to be leaving bodies everywhere," Owl responded. He turned. "Move out when you're finished, and report to the Hokage's office immediately."

Owl's three subordinates nodded once before finishing their duties. Monkey looked over Naruto one last time as Falcon approached Sandralia and Temari. Wolf placed Mizuki's scalp in a stasis scroll as the pugilist stepped aside for Falcon.

"Lady Temari, we best be going; you are in need of rest for tomorrow's classes, and it would be best if we left sooner than later."

"Alright, just give me a moment," Temari responded smoothly. She got a nod in response before getting to Naruto's side.

"Don't worry about what happened," he said, cutting her off just as she was about to apologize. "I'm used to this kind of thing. Granted, he was the most original but also the most stupid for having only come alone."

Temari lowered her head in shame. "But I wasn't able to help…"

"Don't think like that. You were merely caught off guard is all. Happens to everyone." Naruto brought her into his arms and gave her a brief hug as Falcon walked up behind her silently. "Now you need to go; Owl scooted like his ass was on fire and Monkey already left; Wolf is about to start reforming the soil around here so we all need to be getting out the way. I'll see you around, when I'm not being run into the ground."

Temari nodded her head gently. She leaned up slightly and forward, planting a peck on his cheek, whispering afterwards, "Thank you, again, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto merely smiled to her as she and Falcon flickered out of sight, leaving the ANBU, pugilist and teacher as the remaining onlookers.

"Alright, I need you three to take your leave now," Wolf said casually. "I need to churn the soil and settle it before I can leave-"

Before he could finish his request for them to leave, Aisha did two hand signs. The result was instantly obvious, as a ten-foot diameter circle around where Mizuki had been laying suddenly exploded upwards. When the dust and dirt cleared away, there now stood a sizable boulder that covered the entire circle, wiping out any traces of the skirmish that had turned against the antagonist.

"There you go!" chirped Aisha, waving her hand. "Come Naruto, we need to get back. Dinner should be ready by the time we get through the door."

Wolf looked on dumbfounded as the two of them, soon followed by Sandralia, left the scene as if nothing had happened.

'_Minato-sensei, you'd be proud of him now…_' thought Wolf, a single tear trailing down his cheek beneath his mask. He picked up the two kunai, one broken with the other whole, along with the two fuuma shuriken, and stowed them in the next page of the stasis scroll. "Well, off I go now…" he muttered to himself, disappearing as he took to the trees.

In the midst of the trees, Aisha stopped abruptly. She turned to Sandralia and looked her over with a scrutinizing eye. "So you're one of Kyuubi's minions?"

"Yes Lady Vessel of the Vassal Tsukasa," the pugilist answered. "I was summoned by the beckoning call of my lord Kyuubi, focused through his vessel's body."

She looked Naruto over quickly. "Is this true Naruto?"

"Yeah, more or less." Naruto scratched the back of his ear as he went on to further explain the encounter. "With Mizuki having knocked out Temari, I couldn't take the chance he was secretly going to kill her. With no one else around to call for help, I was running out of options as Mizuki charged at me with his second fuuma shuriken."

"What happened then?" his sensei asked calmly.

"The fox spoke up and offered help; told him I didn't have time to learn summoning, it said that there was no summoning going on and then I agreed since time was running out. Next thing I know, it takes over and then POOF! Sandralia sends Mizuki flying just before he swipes at my gut with his weapon. After that, I returned his first one back with about twelve times the inertia it originally had as Sandralia stood over Temari. As to how Mizuki ended up scalped, he wasn't exactly able to stand up in time for it to have been through his waist…"

"Excuse me Lord and Lady Vessels, but as my task is done, I must be going," the pugilist politely interrupted. "I am at the Vassal's call, whenever it may come."

The fighter flickered out of sight after having finished, leaving Naruto and his sensei alone in the woods.

"Time we get back ourselves," Aisha said. Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but soon found himself being body-flickered from the forest and right into the hallway of the Ichiraku household.

"Hello!" Teuchi called from the kitchen.

"Hello Teuchi," Aisha called back. "We just returned."

"Hi Naruto-kun!" Ayame said, poking her head into the hall and waving at them. "Dinner's going to be ready soon, so get ready!"

"What is it tonight?" Naruto asked as he kicked off his sandals and placed them next to the door on the rack.

"It's going to be beef with cheesy potatoes!" Teuchi called back.

"Sweet, gotta love those savory taters," Naruto whispered to himself as he started down the stairs.

"Naruto."

The blonde stopped just as he was about to enter his room when Aisha said his name. "Yeah Aisha-sensei?

She looked him in the eyes as she set her sheathe against the wall down her own stairwell. "I really didn't see everything that happened first-hand, but I did 'see' what occurred."

"Tsukasa's psyche?"

"Yes. I only had a few questions to ask your former sensei, and then spent the rest of the time meditating and conversing with Tsukasa on the roof. It was there that he alerted me to the opening of a rift between the worlds," she answered. "After hearing what happened, you've come a lot closer to one of my goals for you."

He raised an eyebrow cautiously. "This doesn't happen to be involved with that 'task' you said concerned me does it?"

"You'll see…" She said, smiling sweetly at him over her shoulder, sword in hand as she vanished down her own stairs.

The blonde merely sighed as he tossed his vest onto his small couch. "Sometimes…"

He threw up his hands in defeat as he made his way back up the stairs and took his seat at the table, the others coming in shortly after. They ate quietly and talked about what happened.

[---]

"So you're saying that you've now contacted two of my escaped vassals?" a small wiry boy asked, perched upon a large gold throne. His hands clutched at the arms of the exquisite throne. His only clothing being that of maroon shorts, shoes and a strange scarf that moved in the non-existent wind. "And you're saying that you couldn't bring **either** of them back?" he growled out.

Etna sweatdropped as she backpedaled slightly. "We-well, it's not entirely my fault, Prince!"

"Who else can I blame then?"

"The prinnies never answered my calls when I tried to capture either of the demons!" Etna blurted out.

A penguin-like creature entered the room, carrying a tray in it's flippers as it waddled in on peg-legs. The pouch around its waist jingled lightly. Its beady little eyes blinked when it stopped, sensing imminent danger in its future. "What's wrong doods? Is there a piece of Dead Sea-kelp stuck in my beak or something?"

A small blonde girl walked into the throne room just in time to see the creature flying through the nearest window at high speeds, propelled by a dark orb of energy. She turned her blue eyes back to the throne and saw the boy panting, smoke fuming from his hand.

"Oh Laharl, what happened now?" she asked, her red tail twitching slightly. Her red wings flapped slightly, signaling her agitation.

"It's those damn _vassals_ of mine!" Laharl ground out, firmly sitting back down. "Etna can't seem to do her job right!"

"Hey, it's not my fault that Tsukasa's vessel already mastered his powers!" Etna shot back, her black wings flapping angrily.

"Whatever." The boy humphed and leaned against his right arm, his left hand tapping on the throne arm. "So you said you at least found Kyuubi didn't you?"

"You found the fox already?" the blonde asked excitedly.

"Yeah, found out the fox got himself sealed away into a human brat like fourteen years ago when he attacked a major city. And what's worse, his vessel is now under Tsukasa's protection!" the redhead exclaimed.

"Enough!" Laharl shouted. "Any news on the other vassals?"

"Well, the leader of a different place there apparently sacrificed his wife in order to use his son as the vessel for that fucked up raccoon, and then Tsukasa's vessel mentioned that Mao was forced into a girl in another city and is being used as a tool to use in some war they're planning." Etna twirled her polearm in one hand as she waited for her prince's roar of frustration.

"War you say…" Laharl said. Thoughts ran through his mind as he closed his eyes in contemplation. "Nope, can't do that yet: we're still recovering from the last inter-dimensional war with both Earth and Celestia!"

"At least we were able to pawn off those do-gooding 'defenders of Earth' onto Celestia for that archangel, Ardentia or whatever his name was," Etna said.

"What are we going to do?" the blonde asked. "I mean, how are we going to go about your plan now?"

"We could always send you in there, Flonne," Etna said, poking the blonde demon with her elbow. "Get you started on one of your old rants."

"The old 'love freak' routine won't work, not against Celestians…" Laharl rejected, closing his eyes.

"Awwww, I miss my pets!" Flonne cried out.

"Oh shut up, you stupid Love Freak!" Etna said, smacking her in the back of her head. "It's partly your fault they left in the first place!"

Arguing ensued between the two demon girls, all the while prinnies peeked in from the opened doorway with sweatdrops forming over their brows. Laharl, on the other hand, was losing his temper, accentuated by the growing tick mark on his own forehead. That is, until it exploded and faded in a blast of fireworks.

"**ENOUGH!**"

Both girls froze on command, lest they further provoke their already volatile ruler.

"That's enough squabbling! Flonne!" he roared.

"Yes Laharl!" the blonde said, snapping to attention with her tail saluting for her right hand.

"You are going back to that dimension with Etna! The two of you will work, either together or separately, to try and retrieve each and every one of my delinquent vassals!"

"Are you sure it's a wise choice to send _both_ of us, your Highness?" Etna asked, her silver tongue trying to jump-start by order of her self-preservation lifestyle.

"Are you saying I can't handle running the castle on my own?" Laharl asked, a small tick mark reappearing on his head.

Etna sweatdropped, immediately regretting the decision to even ask that question. "Nonononononono! Just forget I ever said anything! We'll be leaving right now!"

Just as Flonne opened her mouth to counter, Etna grabbed the red ribbon tied under the collar of the girl's black dress, her black shoes attached to her feet flailing in the wind as the two of them zoomed like bullets out of the throne room.

"ByeyouHighness,we'llbebackassoonaswegetallninedemonvassals!"

As they finally faded from view, Laharl sighed and leaned forward, rubbing his face with his hands. "Those two better get this job done…"

[---]

"Do it one more time, Naruto."

"Fuck… I've got shitloads of stamina, but all this work has nearly depleted me already," Naruto said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Aisha wiped a cloth rag over her elegant wide-blade as she watched Naruto practice his jutsu from the rooftop railing."Remember, the more often you work yourself down to the point of being unable to mold chakra or even move with minimal comfort, the faster your chakra replenishes and grows larger."

"But I thought we were supposed to be getting me ready for the exams in two months, not making me be able to outlast a fucking kage," the blonde countered.

"We are: enlarging your chakra stores is just a nice bonus." She hefted up her blade and held it with one hand straight out from her, gazing down the first of the sides at the finite cutting edge, then flipping to the other side and seeing the same as before, nothing wrong. "And anyways, the 'body flicker jutsu' requires an awesome amount of concentration and control. While it may take more skill, it doesn't require any hand signs once you've mastered it, nor a random object to swap places with like in the substitution jutsu."

Naruto hung his head in defeat.

"And anyways, look at it like this: this is the harder of the two jutsu I'm trying to teach you in order for you to pass this year. It's always best to get the harder task accomplished and then move on to the easier one." Aisha set her sword against the railing and stood on the metal bar. "If you were to focus too much on the easier task and take forever in mastering it, then you would have almost no time to work on the harder task."

"Still…" he said. "So any idea how I'm doing, or are you just going to tell me when I've got it down enough?"

"Honestly, you are actually progressing faster than a normal chunin, the level at which you'd _originally_ be learning this from your sensei just before they recommend you for the jonin selection process." Aisha jumped from the rail to the rooftop lightly. "But you are a special case, Naruto. I won't reiterate it, but I will show you a trick in getting a handle of the jutsu."

"Be my guest; I need to take a breather," Naruto said, moving to the rail by her sword and pulled a water bottle out of his vest.

Aisha moved to the center of the roof and looked back at her student. "When I was learning this technique, I was like you: high-capacity chakra battery with issues performing smaller jutsu. When I learned the body-flicker, the thing I had to remember was that it took more than just visualizing the location I was moving to, I had to _feel_ like I was already there."

"So… I've pretty much gonna have to reincarnate my imagination huh?"

"No, it's not that simple. This goes beyond your imagination; it's almost like you're having a preminition as you mold your chakra, that you're already _at_ the place you're trying to get to." She looked over to the door to the roof and next thing he knew, she was standing right next to the hinge in the flash of a dust-cloud. She held up her finger to imitate a shushing motion, then faded into the shadows.

Naruto raised an eyebrow but it made sense as the door from the stairs opened up, revealing the last person Naruto expected to visit him.

"Dobe."

"Yo Sasuke," Naruto responded, taking a drink from his water bottle. "Lunch time already? Must be getting desperate to hide from the banshee cult if you came here."

"Hn." Sasuke closed the door and made his way to the railing. He looked at the blonde and then the sword, eyes focusing on the design. "That's your sensei's, right?"

"Yep, only time I've seen her without it is when she's using the shitter or at home," Naruto said. "I've never bothered asking to see it, let alone touch it. If she wants me to handle it, she'll let me know."

"Figured. Most seasoned shinobi that carry a specific weapon like this are that way," the Uchiha added.

Silence covered the roof as neither spoke for a few moments.

"So what's happening in class now? Last I heard, you guys were working through the last couple forms of the standard taijutsu and touching up the accuracy of your transformations." Naruto pulled a sandwich from his vest, promptly unwrapping it and munching softly.

"Yeah," Sasuke said as he looked down at the lunchroom courtyard, spying the rest of his classmates performing their daily rituals, hoping his rabid fangirls wouldn't find him. "Iruka-sensei says that we're doing better than the majority of the classes over the last few years."

"From what I've seen, most of the class is better than about four out of five on average of the graduates from the last four years."

Silence hung in the air once more.

"So how goes your tutoring? Haven't seen you in class since you came in that day to assist with that genjutsu demonstration last month," the loner king inquired.

Naruto tossed the last of his sandwich into his mouth and chewed vigoriously before replying. "Meh… Since Aisha-sensei figured that my 'sexy jutsu' would do for a good enough adaption of the transformation, granted I have to start using _clothes_ as part of it to pass, I've been working on that jutsu you see all the jonin and ANBU use to get to and from important places, the body-flicker."

"Sounds interesting."

"Interesting, yes. But moreso than anything else, it's exhausting and tedious," the blonde said, flopping to his side. "I've been working that one over and over for two months now, and I've barely managed to get the smallest of grasps on getting it under my belt."

"Hn. Makes sense, given that it's a high-level jutsu," Sasuke said. "Hey Naruto…"

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, not getting upright.

"…I want to, apologize. For how I was behaving back in the beginning of the year."

This made the vessel for the Kyuubi shoot up faster than a giant bowl of birthday ramen for breakfast. "You know it's not me that you need to say sorry to, right?"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke said, facing him full on with a look of pure confusion.

Naruto leaned back against the rail as he started. "It's like this dude: I honestly didn't care that you were being an ass back in the beginning of the year. You weren't _half_ the ass that Hinata's cousin Neji was last year, and you're pampered three times as much as any Hyuuga. Now close your eyes for a moment and truly think about this next bit." Naruto stared at him through the corner of his eye until Sasuke finally complied. "Now, imagine how things would go if you hadn't come up here and apologized to me a moment ago; you would most likely have gone through life with people just wanting to hand shit to you and not make you earn it. You'd be making people hate you left and right after they got to meet you and see past the 'legacy' that our society has built around you."

"I can see what you mean… My father was always bitching about how the Hyuuga were always causing us problems. Guess it's from the way everyone in my clan, even those without the ability to mold chakra or activate their Sharingan, were always high and mighty…"

Holding his hand out in front of him with his palm up, Naruto went on: "Now, imagine what would happen if you actually opened up to people, not ignore _all_ of them most of the time. Don't just shove them away, interact with them sometime, learn to accept people and their faults. Destroy the cold, emotionless exterior you've developed from the generations of your clan having used it, and _then_ see what you get from life in return…"

Sasuke was about to open his mouth, but just at the same time…

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"FUCK!"

"DAMMIT!"

Sakura and Ino were the ones having bust through the door, with Naruto being the first to see them and Sasuke just a second later. Upon them seeing Naruto, the two girls froze in their tracks and their expressions darkened.

"CHEESE IT, IT'S THE BITCHES!" Naruto called out, garnering the surprised attention of everyone within the school grounds.

"There's nowhere to run!" Sasuke yelled, looking frantically. He couldn't see any other exit but the door that the two intruders were now guarding. He was _not_ about to jump, but the alternative was…

"Naruto, hurry up and run! I'll just let them have their way with me so you can escape," Sasuke said, noting the two prowling kunoichi-hopefuls advance slowly.

"No way Sasuke, not after the tremendous breakthrough. We either get out of this one together, or I'm taking them down with us!" Naruto said, tossing his garbage over the railing (with the bottle, half-full still, landing on Kiba's head) and flung his vest on. "Guess there's no time like the present…"

"What-?"

Just as Ino took a leap at Naruto, Sakura moving back to the door, Sasuke found himself being grabbed by the shoulder. One second, he was watching Ino flying at Naruto, the next he was watching her flying at an empty spot at the railing.

"OWOWOOWOWOWOW!" Ino cried out, her hands attempting to ease the swelling bruise that traveled the length of her face straight down the middle, not having noticed the large amount of blood oozing down her face from the visibly broken nose. "That FUCKING HURTS!" she bellowed, immediately tears just gushing out her sockets as blood started dripping from her split lower lip.

Sakura looked left and right, trying to find where the two boys had gone off to in the blink of an eye. "NARUTO, YOU IDIOT!" she roared. That's when she caught sight of Aisha's sword. Her face grew into a sinister smirk as she stalked over to the railing. "Naruto, either you get out here now and give us Sasuke-kun, or your _tutor's_ sword goes over the edge!"

Sasuke looked around, and then found that Naruto had somehow managed to get them from where Sakura stood over the delicate blade and Ino to the small roof over the the stairwell. "What are you going to do? She's going to toss that thing over the side if I don't show up!" he whispered sharply.

"Sonuvabitch, I got it to work!" the blonde said in a hushed voice. "I got it to work!" he stood up and cupped his hands to his mouth. "AISHA-SENSEI, I GOT IT TO WORK FINALLY!"

That's when Naruto's brain finally caught up to his ears, and realized what Sakura had said.

"Oh fuck me…"

Sakura grinned as wide as an evil doll, teeth fully bared and eyes turning into demonic slits, fire almost shooting up behind her. "FOUND YOU BASTARD! NOW GIVE ME SASUKE-KUN!"

"And what if I don't?" he challenged, an idea coming to mind.

Sakura pointed at the wide-blade leaning against the railing. "Then your sensei's precious sword is going the quick way to the courtyard!"

"DO IT FOREHEAD GIRL! MAKE HIM PAY, AVENGE MY BEAUTY!" Ino shouted, the impact site on her face from the pole already turning purple from the swelling.

"I'd say you don't have the balls, but you probably do!" he called back.

A roar of laughter came from a certain loudmouthed Inuzuka as Sakura's eyes seemed to almost go pure black. Without warning, she reached out and grasped the handle of the massive blade. "YOU ASKED FOR IT, YOU WHISKER-MARKED FUCK-TARD!"

Sasuke shot up and was about to intervene, but Naruto placed an arm out and held up his hand to silence him. "Just watch, I think I know what's going to happen…" he whispered behind his shoulder.

When the pink banshee couldn't budge the sword with a single hand, she turned her whole body and gripped the handle with both hands. Ino was cheering her on, and even got up to help.

Moments later, with Naruto looking on eagerly and Sasuke looking on with a bit of worry (something truly miraculous for _anyone_ from his decimated clan), the two girls were finally able to hoist the weapon above their heads. Sakura, albeit labored, turned her head and said: "LAST CHANCE, GIVE IN OR GET KILLED!"

"I wonder where you keep your balls… are they in your ass, or are they what you're trying to pass off for tits!?" he called out, trying desperately to break the last straw.

There seemed to now be a purely black aura around Sakura. Just as the two girls, aura enveloping them both by contact through a mutual object, were leaning back to toss the large sword, there suddenly was a loud crack of lightning as if a storm had suddenly broke out. Next thing Sasuke and Naruto saw, Ino and Sakura were surrounded with a vibrant yellow glow, and then promptly dropped the sword behind them on the roof. Then, both girls fell to opposing sides as black smoke bellowed from their burnt forms.

"Oh my god, that was FUCKING AWESOME!" Naruto shouted as he jumped down and ran to the railing.

Sasuke joined him and peered down at the two girls. "Are they going to be okay?" he asked, more to himself than Naruto.

"Hey Choji, you down there?"

Choji, potato chips in hand, looked up from his place next to Shikamaru and waved. "Hey Naruto, what's up?"

"I'd suggest you get your dad out here to pick up these charcoal bitchettes! I don't know how long they're going to be good fuel for your guys' round-the-clock barbeque grills!"

Aisha smiled to herself from the shadows as she heard the roaring laughter from the courtyard below. '_Not exactly the way I hoped he'd get the jutsu under control, but it's a vast improvement…_'

[---]

"I still can't believe it finally fucking worked yesterday!"

"What matters is that you've now gotten the hang of it, and we can now move on to the last part of your tutoring for the exam in two months," Aisha responded. "Now, it's going to be up to you at this point to work on it in your own time since I'm now going to teach you a specific clone jutsu."

"So wait, there's more than just the normal clone?" Naruto asked, fidgeting with a kunai.

"Yes, there are several clone specialties that expand upon the standard taught to all ninja in the beginning. Essentially, it breaks down to the essential clone, the sand clone, water clone, earth clone, mud clone, and the shadow clone."

"Not one for each element huh… Makes sense, considering that wind and fire don't have specifically solid forms to their individual element. But what about like ice and wood clones, the material just not maliable enough?"

"Pretty much, yes. And it's also that those capable of ice-style were from the Hidden Village of Mist, killed off when the bloodline purging began years back, and the wood-style was found to only exist within the family line of the First Hokage, a now all but extinct clan, the Senju." Aisha sat lightly against the rail as she continued. "Now, as we've come to find, regular clones are mere illusions, the most basic of all genjutsu that breaks upon contact with any other solid object, or even another clone."

"Yep."

Holding up a finger, she countered. "Ah, but here's the thing about the other variants of clones: each one is specifically different from the others, and the variants are more involved and advanced than the normal clone. This gives the caster more options, but most people don't realize the true difference between each type of clone. For instance, take the sand clone: it's technically a clone used for causing diversions and annoyance, as the clones would simply reform once broken. The mud clone on the other hand, lasts a while longer than other variants and is almost indiscernable from the caster, making it a fairly powerful clone in it's own right. Next, we have the standard earth clone, comprised completely of dirt: they rely on blocking the opponent's path and causing him to back off from avoiding constant powerful attacks. Though strong, earth clones are very slow, almost sometimes not worth the chakra to create."

"And the water clone? What are the pros and cons to that variant?"

"It is limited in its duration and use, in comparison to its earth-affinitive cousins. As you can tell, that's because it requires a stable and exorbenant amount of water to be truly useful. The water clone relies on the caster being soley able to use standard and water-style jutsu alone, nothing else as they require a lot more focus to control. You have to have unbroken contact with the source you used to summon them, or else they will disappear on you." Aisha twirled around as the wind picked up a bit, ruffling the tassle attached to the pommel of her sword.

Naruto yawned and scratched his chin. "Now what's that last clone variant? Shadow clone?"

"Yes, the single-most advantageous clone variant ever devised, and by Sarutobi nonetheless. Shadow clones are _very_ unique and invaluable when used correctly."

"How is that?"

"A few reasons. First, they can actually take quite a few hits, depending on the amount of chakra you put into each clone. They can take the most damage of all the variants, measured by how much force any blow they take has and subtracted accordingly from their fraction of chakra upon creation. If they don't take any damage or get dispelled by a weapon, a shadow clone can actually last upwards of a week if left alone. Next, they don't require anything specific like environment or materials to make. And lastly, the best differentiating characteristic of the shadow clones is…"

"Yeah, what's that?" Naruto asked, his ears perking up at the tone in her voice.

Aisha smiled at him and laughed. "No, I think I'll let you find out on your own…"

"You suck, sensei."

"You wish, Naruto," Aisha retorted. "Besides, I'm twice your age; I'd rather not be convicted of pedophilia, among other things."

"Bleh…" Naruto shot back, sticking his tongue out.

"No more goofing around though, the variant clone jutsu I'm going to teach you you have to start learning immediately," she said, taking a deep breath. "Normally, you wouldn't be given access to learn this jutsu until you were mid-jonin in skill, but, as agreed, you are a special case."

"Yeah yeah, I've got as much chakra and stamina as your regular jonin, I've known that forever."

Aisha smiled and shook her head. "Not true anymore." She got a very upraised eyebrow in return. "That _was_ true when I started training you, but you've yet to realize how much you've grown in just five months. The Hokage has had the Hyuuga clan leader secretly gauge you every few weeks using his kekkei genkai, keeping track of your progress. From there, Sarutobi's been reporting once a month to the council after receiving my reports. As of yesterday's evaluation and your successful use of the body-flicker jutsu, you have been labeled as a 'B-rank' individual."

"What's with the rank?" he asked bluntly.

"In short, a rank indicates your overall status in the shinobi world. Just as there are as many demon lords, there are coincidentally ranks of power: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and 0, with corresponding classifications. They go in order of: civilian, student, genin, chunin, jonin, tokubetsu jonin, ANBU, kage, sennin, and for lack of a better term as there has only been one recorded person to have reached this much power, demi-god."

"So I'm labeled a jonin while still being a student huh." Naruto scratched his chin-fuzz and asked, "How long does it take a _normal_ person to go from student to jonin?"

"Good question, now here's the answer. On average, after graduating at the age of twelve from the Academy, a genin will spend generally three years with their jonin sensei leading their initial genin squad before being tested for promotion in the chunin exams. It can take anywhere from one to ten tries at these exams, which are held every six months in a different hidden village every time, for a normal genin to advance rank. After that, the promotion to jonin is done on a case-by-case basis and examined over a period of time dictated solely by their kage. Uusally, a chunin has to work for at least another three years of tremendous effort before their examinations start, at which point they are not informed of their possible promotion until it's been verified that they actually will be promoted."

"So six years for a _normal_ student to reach jonin huh…"

"Don't get a swelled head, Naruto," Aisha said, poking him in the side of the skull. "There have been some exceptions to the standard schedule, but the two most recent were later evaluated as being bad choices due to their outcomes."

"Yeah, I remember the Uchiha Massacre," Naruto said. "Happened one day when Sasuke's older brother just lost it, most likely having gone insane from all the pressure. I mean shit, he went into his first genin squad at like ten, and by the time he was fifteen he was ANBU captain; if I were to make jumps that fast, you know something would have had to break sooner or later."

"So you know the most recent, but do you know the other case in Konoha's history where they shouldn't have pushed the ninja so fast?" Aisha asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"Not a damn clue."

"The Fourth Hokage, youngest shinobi to ever have been selected as a kage in the history of well, the beginning of recorded history in the Elemental Nations. He became Hokage at merely the age of twenty, while most other Hokage candidates were at least thirty-eight."

"And then… he ended up sacrificing his own life to seal the fox inside me, his only son…" Naruto looked down at the courtyard from the corner of his eye, trying to keep those thoughts out of his mind. "Anyways, let's get this jutsu started. I want to get to work on this thing soon."

His sensei was stunned that he not only knew who his father was, but also that he didn't want to discuss it. Normally, everyone she'd encountered who lacked parents and found someone that knew them immediately broke down and demanded to know everything about them. But not Naruto, no; he just wanted to get his lessons started. Closing her eyes and sighing, she took a step backwards.

"Which variant you teaching me?"

Her smile widened as she did the hand signs Naruto recognized for the clone jutsu, but what struck him as strange was how she placed her hands when the last sign came up. Then there appeared five more Aishas.

"No fair, you didn't call it out…" Naruto pouted.

"Didn't you notice the last hand sign though?" the six figures said in unison.

"You mean that one with crossed fore and middle fingers?" He saw each one nod in response. "Alright, I'll give it a go then."

Performing each hand sign in the sequence with practiced ease, making sure to perform the crossed-finger sign as the last. Focusing a fair amount of chakra as he did so and a few seconds later…

"Whoa…" said all six Aisha figures.

Naruto looked around and his jaw nearly broke through the roof to the class below.

Scattered around the roof, stood _several_ clones of him. All of them exactly as he appeared.

Five of her disappeared as the original looked over the nearest clone with a very scrutinizing eye. "Are you sure you haven't already learned this, like from your burden?"

"Very sure; if I had known this one at all, don't you think I'd have passed the graduation exam already?" Naruto asked, poking his nearest clone in the shoulder. "Damn, these are _solid_ clones."

Aisha firmly punched the clone she had inspected and looked at her real student. "What did you see just now?"

The original Naruto shook his head slightly. "In my head or what you did exactly?"

"You saw something in your head?"

"Yeah, just after you punched that clone, I saw you as if you were right in front of me, punching me a second later." He rubbed his face with one hand and using the other to hold onto the clone for support.

"Anything else?"

"No, just your punch in the first-person view; before I saw that, all I saw was a white puff of smoke when the clone dispelled."

"Good," she said. She moved over to another clone and kicked him in the crotch. "What about now?" she asked, the clone dispelling as his eyes bugged out of his head.

"I'm so glad these things can't transfer feelings and pain…" Then something went off in Naruto's head. "Wait, I'm seeing what the clone sees, aren't I?"

"Very good, Naruto." She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You, with having only used the jutsu once and only with the dispelling of two clones, have figured out the trick to the _shadow_ clone jutsu."

"So that's the shadow clone jutsu huh… No wonder it's not taught to people until they're jonin; that feedback makes one hell of a headache at first." He took out his water bottle and took a swig from it, hoping it would ease the pain in his head.

"Easiest way to get past the feedback pain is-" Aisha left her statement hang in mid-air as she sped around the roof and dispelled all the Naruto clones. "-have a mass of them dispel within a short time of each other."

"ARGHHHH!" Naruto roared in pain as his head exploded with images and voices rushing at him like a barrage of shuriken nailing him in the eyes. He fell backwards and flat on his back from the overwhelming pain he was now feeling in his skull.

"Don't worry Naruto: as you use the jutsu more and more, you'll get used to the feedback."

Moments passed as Aisha waited for her student to rise from his position, but hung her head when half an hour passed and Naruto merely started snoring.

"Well, you really are one surprising student, Naruto-kun," Aisha whispered, forming three hand signs. A creature formed purely of chakra came into existence, hovering right next to her left ear with small ethereal wings flapping as its reptilian body wiggled about.

"_Yessss, Aisha-sama?_" it asked.

"Go inform the Hokage that Uzumaki Naruto has completed both jutsu exceedingly fast. He managed to perform the shadow clone jutsu in just one day, and even understood it within five minutes."

"_Anything I should report to anyone elsssse?"_

"No, that is all this time, Xurtia."

"_Yesssss, mi'lady._"

Just as it had appeared, the small flying lizard sped away towards the Hokage Tower as ordered, leaving Aisha on the roof with Naruto.

'_Kushina, Minato… you both would be more than ecstatic with his progress…If only the two of you had been able to see him right now._'

[---]

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, how may I help you today?"

"I'll take a beef ramen please," came Sasuke's voice.

"I'll have a shark's fin with a wedge of lemon please," Temari's voice rang out.

"Do you by chance do a barbequed pork bowl?" Choji asked sheepishly.

"I'll have the beef too…" Shikamaru lazily said.

"Alright, so two cows, a tart flipper, and a dirty pig. Coming up as the chef is done!" Ayame cheerfully replied. She took the piece of paper and ripped it from her notepad, moving behind the wall and hanging it from a clip with one more in front of it on the board. "New orders Dad!"

"Order up on that last one Aya-chan!" Teuchi responded, placing a large bowl of miso on the counter and taking the next order slip.

Back in the front of the stand, the four students talking quietly in their small space.

"Hey, isn't she the girl that was at the Academy back in October, the one that ran to Naruto after he healed you?" Choji asked, scratching the side of his face.

"I wouldn't know. I didn't wake up until a few hours later in the hospital," Temari answered. "But if she is, then I wonder what she was doing there…"

"You must have never seen her waiting down the road from the Academy in the first month of school then," Sasuke said, his hands folding in front of his face with his elbows on the counter. "From what I could tell, it's likely they're actually together."

"Yeah, I remember seeing the two of them moving around town last year when my mom had me running errands for skipping class," Shikamaru said. "Troublesome work, but it at least kept me from having to do yard work."

"Order up!" Teuchi called out again, with Ayame appearing to the front with another two bowls of pork ramen for a pair of women at the other end of the counter. She picked up their bill and three emptied bowls and set them on the tray behind the counter.

"Hey Ayame-chan, how are you doing with the empties?" came a voice that all four students knew instantly.

"Coming!" Ayame called back hurriedly, spying the looks she was getting from the group. She lifted the tray and scurried back to the dish sink and leaned into Naruto's ear. "Four of your class mates are here!" she hissed.

"I haven't told anyone!" Naruto protested, taking the bowls and putting them in the sink with hot soapy water. "Describe them while you wait for the next order to come up."

"It's going to be theirs: one's got a pineapple head-"

"Nara Shikamaru, heir to the laziest cloudwatchers ever."

"-Plump kid with a white scarf and swirl marks on his cheeks-"

"Akmichi Choji, heir to the 'Akimichi Barbeque Castle' and clan, in that order if he had his way." He started to scrub the bowls with a rough washcloth. "Next."

"-Kid with black hair and an almost emo-ish look to him, wearing blue shirt and and seems to be trying hard not to scoff at the world-"

"Fuck, never expected Sasuke to break his shell this soon," Naruto said, applying a bit more force to one particularly crusty bowl. "Please don't let the bowls sit out there so long after a customer's done; it's a _bitch_ to get dehydrated seasonings and noodles off the porcelain. Last?"

"Sorry about the bowl, but as you can tell we've been strangely busy today. Last one's a girl," she said, poking him in the shoulder. "She's got blonde hair, four pigtails in back and wears white clothes over a body mesh suit. Who's she?" Ayame asked, her eyebrow raised.

Her other eyebrow shot straight up to join its twin as she saw Naruto crack the bowl he held cleanly in half. "Shit…!" he hissed.

"Who is she, Naruto-kun?" the brunette asked.

He hung his head and sighed, ready to answer. But-

"Order up! Foursome!"

"You owe me one explanation when I get back, Naruto-_kun_…" she said, gripping his hand in the water. She wiped it off briefly in his hair before taking the serving tray.

When she placed down the bowls, each student carefully took their bowls and snapped their chopsticks with practiced ease.

"Thanks," Sasuke said, placing his cost on the tray. "Smells better than what I cook."

"Glad I don't have to cook…" Shikamaru said as he dropped his share on the tray as well.

Temari pulled out hers and a tip, placing it on the far side of the tray. "Thank you, I appreciate a good service when the meal isn't a normal request."

"Wow! This smells almost like my dad's sauce!" Choji said, hurriedly throwing his bills on the tray with the others.

"Enjoy your meal!" Ayame said, tucking the bill into her apron's pocket, slipping the tip into her pant pocket. She bowed slightly and moved back to the counter, not seeing anyone new just yet, she set the tray down and moved back to the dish-sink. "Alright, spill it Naruto-kun: who's the blonde out there, and why are you freaked."

Naruto let an exasperated sigh escape his mouth as he looked her straight in the eyes. "She's the emissary from Suna, the Kazekage's daughter."

"So, what's the big deal? She's a diplomat," Ayame said, placing a hand on her hip.

"That's not the problem. The problem is… Since she first stepped in the senior classroom last year when Sarutobi was showing her around, she's been pawing at me, wanting me for herself."

"Oh…" Ayame said, relaxing her posture. She stepped next to him and wrapped an arm behind his back She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, whispering in his ear: "Don't worry Naruto-kun. It's only natural that she's developed a crush on you."

"You're taking this well…"

"I've known that, at any time, you may get admirers down the road, have since we were in the junior class." Ayame stroked his hair gently as a set of footsteps echoed back to their location. "I'll always love you, Naruto-kun."

"Thanks, Ayame-chan." He smiled to her and returned her peck on the cheek with a peck on her lips.

"And even," she started as she backed to the hallway at the call for service, "if I have to share you, that's fine by me. Just so long as I'm the first wife and I bear your first child!"

Naruto looked at her with shock as she laughed and blew him a kiss before disappearing to the front room once more. '_I never thought she'd take it that way…_'

Back with the four up front, minor conversation passed between them as they savored their meals.

"So how do you guys think we're gonna do with tomorrow's exams?" Temari asked, slicing up the last piece of her shark fin.

"I honestly don't care either way," Shikamaru said, picking at a larger hunk of beef. "If I become a genin tomorrow, fine. If not, I'll just go find something else to do."

"Doubt your mom would let you off the hook that easy, Shika," Choji said, patting his stomach as he placed his bowl in the center of the table. "Another bowl please!" he called, raising his hand.

"Right away!" Ayame called, writing it down and disappearing.

"I've got no reason to be worried," Sasuke said, slurping up his broth. "I'm more concerned about how Naruto's going to do."

"I don't know why he hasn't passed in the last two years, but he always can transfer over to Sunagakure to become a shinobi." Temari held up her chopsticks at an angle and rested her chin on the back of her other hand. "I wouldn't mind letting Kankuro be emissary here if it meant going back to Suna with Naruto-kun…"

"Troublesome women and their fantasies…"

"At least she knows what she wants, Shika," Sasuke said, putting his empty bowl down atop Choji's. "What do you plan to accomplish in life?"

"As long as I can live long enough to marry a normal girl, have a boy and a girl of my own that take mostly after the wife, and spend the last days of my life watching clouds and playing shogi, I'll be fine." Shikamaru slurped his broth and looked at the blonde on the other side of Sasuke. "Hey, you still awake there?"

The Suna envoy rattled her head briefly at the question. "Sorry, just daydreaming."

"Heh, you daydream worse than I do sometimes."

"Only when it concerns Naruto though," Choji said, handing Ayame more cash in exchange for his fresh bowl of barbeque pork ramen.

Sasuke noticed Ayame's reaction to Choji's comment, and paused her a monet. "You wouldn't happen to have been at the Academy a few months ago, when a riot of shinobi and villagers stormed the courtyard were you?"

"I wasn't a part of the riot, but when I heard what they were saying I left work and headed over to see something. Why?" Ayame asked, keeping her face cheerful.

"I thought that I recognized you. You're the girl that jumped over the group that arrived with the Hokage after my friend Naruto saved the Suna emissary's life," Sasuke answered in turn. "How long have you known him?"

"I've known him since we were kids, actually. My father brought him into our house when there were mobs running around the village one night, and… he's pretty much been with us since."

"Are you two dating?" Temari asked bluntly, leaning forward as her eyes focused on the brunette's.

Ayame smiled. "In a sense, we are dating. You could say, we've been an item since that first night. Any other questions, Miss Suna-emissary?" she asked with a smirk.

The blonde girl raised an eyebrow. "In a sense?"

"We have feelings for each other, and we know those are never going to go away, no matter what happens." Ayame looked around before leaning closer and whispered: "I asked him about you when I was waiting for all your orders to be ready, and he told me a few things. I told him that it's okay if things _develop_ between the two of you…"

"Mhmmmm…" Temari hummed, a broad smile breaking her lips as a slight blush covered her cheeks.

"Order up!"

"Alright, if any of the rest of you need anything, just let me know!" Ayame called back as she vanished into the kitchen.

"Shit… Seems like Naruto's got all the ladies pawing for him already." Shikamaru shook his head as he placed his bowl on top of Sasuke's and leaned back in his stool. "Hard to imagine he found that rare woman who's willing to share…"

"Have to say, he's one lucky bastard…" Sasuke said, hanging his head in remorse. '_Man, I was wanting to ask out Temari after the graduation exams tomorrow…_'

"Yeah, that does surprise me too." Temari ate the last piece of her ramen and set her chopsticks down. "Though, I can't complain. After all, I get to have my Naruto-kun!" she said with an almost schoolgirlish squeal.

"That just reminded me of the time my dad managed to get the recipe for Grandma's 'Reaper's Chili' for his birthday a few years back," Choji remarked, setting his second bowl down on the stack.

The three boys enjoyed the quiet aura of the ramen stand as their female companion finally finished her bowl, adding it to the stack on the small table. They nodded to Ayame as she took away their dishes, not even a word from Choji about a third bowl. They just sat and thought to themselves as they enjoyed the quiet.

Ayame placed the stack of bowls and chopsticks on the counter next to the first sink, Naruto thinking to himself.

"Whatcha thinking about, Naruto-kun?" she asked. She scooted the bowls back to the wall and hopped up on the counter, leaning against his shoulder with her head placed on him.

"Did you talk to my classmates?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Ayame closed her eyes with a nod. "Yeah, they are all nice, especially Sasuke considering what you told me he was originally like."

He turned slightly towards her. "You know _who _I mean. What did you and Temari say to each other?"

With a giggle, she poked him in the face. "Don't worry Naruto-kun, it's fine."

"What did you say, Ayame-chan…" he asked, almost pleading with her.

"I just told her it was alright with me if something grew between the two of you. I honestly don't mind sharing, as long as I'm not neglected my fair share of attention."

'**OHohohoho, what have we here? Is my little container becoming a lady's man already?**'

'_We'll talk later, Daki!_'

'**Fine, be that way, party-pooper!**'

"Ahem, Naruto?" Teuchi said, a smile crossing his face as he broke the two teens out of their daydreaming.

"What's up Teuchi?" the blonde asked, unable to move as Ayame hadn't removed her head yet from its perch.

"You and Ayame can take the rest of the day off; I'll be closing up early tonight to make sure everything's ready for tomorrow." He pointed behind him as he went on, "Plus, there's a few kids from your class who want you to come out, they're about to leave."

Ayame hopped down from the counter and removed her apron. "I'll see you out there Naruto-kun." Without another word, she hung the apron on her hook and made her way to the front, leaving the two men alone.

"Naruto, a word before you go please?" Teuchi asked as Naruto took off his own apron.

He put his next to Ayame's before following Teuchi to the supply closet, the largest aura of dread falling over him.

Teuchi turned to him and rubbed his temples with his finger tips, trying to figure out what to say. Luckily, Naruto broke the subject for him.

"Teuchi, if you overheard the talk we had after she came back to the dish-room the last time, then you need to know this," the blonde started. "I honestly am not attempting to actively pursue a relationship with anyone else than Ayame-chan. I really don't understand how she can be so calm and open to this idea, but I personally am a little freaked about what may happen."

"Well that's actually very good to hear, Naruto," Teuchi said, wiping his brow. "I was afraid that you were pressuring her into this sort of thing. But as long as she's the one saying it's fine, not you demanding, then I see no problem."

"I'm just wondering if she's been secretly looking up a particular law enacted back when the village was founded…" Naruto asked offhandedly.

Teuchi narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You can't mean…"

"Only thing I can think of is that she's trying to coax me into reviving my clan," Naruto answered. "Honestly, it doesn't bother me on paper, but the actual _enforcement_ of the Clan Restoration Act does kind of sit oddly in my stomach."

"Naruto-kun!" came two female voices from up front in unison.

"Hurry up already, Dobe!" Sasuke called next.

"Yeah! We need to hit my family's place for dinner!" Choji rang out.

"Troublesome loudmouths…"

Teuchi laughed as his hand clapped Naruto on the back firmly. "Well, it seems we're squared away for the time being. Just don't let them push you around all the time. Now go have some fun, and leave the cleanup to me."

"You know I haven't left you undermanned like this since my tutoring sessions were cleared, Teuchi!" Naruto remarked with a smirk. Before his father-figure could object, Naruto made two clones of himself appear. "You," pointing at the left clone, "go take over on dish-duty. You," pointing at the right clone, "transform into disguise twenty-three and do Ayame-chan's job until closing: at that point, you can revert and help close. Dismissed!"

The clones sharply saluted before the first dashed to the sinks and the second poofed into the form of a busty tall redhead, her hair pulled into a bun on the crown of her head as her bangs spiked down and over her left eye, her alluring attire consisting of a black mini-skirt and tan shirt with quartered sleves. The disguised clone took over the serving apron and went out, immediately causing some male customers to develop small nosebleeds.

"There you go, Teuchi! Perfect workers you don't have to pay, not even a single yen of overtime!" Naruto called back as he left the back.

[---]

"Alright, Naruto," Iruka said, pointing to the spar zone. "Your turn. You know what's expected of you I'm sure."

"Do I have to go through the portions in a set order, or can I mix it up a bit?" Naruto asked.

The scarred chunin, just as all the other spectators, gave him a curious look as Sarutobi answered for him. "You may do as you please, Naruto-kun. As long as you perform as per our agreement the specificied jutsu." The resulting grin that everyone saw the blonde teenager give sent shivers down their backs. They were not going to be pleased.

There was a much larger assemblage for this year's graduation examinations than ever seen while Naruto had been in the Academy. Not only were there family members of each student, the Hokage, the teachers of the senior class, and the prospective jonin senseis, but also there were every teacher Naruto had ever had in the Academy. The entire village council was there, as was Aisha. Members of ANBU that Naruto had met throughout the years of pranking were even present, including those that had come to the scene when he had killed Mizuki. Several of his old classmates had also arrived to witness the event, including the team that Lee, TenTen and Neji had been put into complete with their sensei, Maito Gai. And also there were even the _parents_ of his former classmates from years past that wanted to see the final try.

'_Talk about no pressure situations…_'

'**Aww, don't worry about them shnooky-bear; just relax.**'

'_Easy for you to say, Daki. And don'tt call me 'shnooky-bear'!_'

'**Spoil-sport. Anywas, good luck!**'

Oh how Naruto sometimes hated the fox's mentality and persona. Rare moments of affection disguised amongst outbreaks of awkward displays. He would probably never get used to it, nor did he really care to.

In short, there were easily a hundred people, not including his classmates, that were at the examination field just to witness his last shot at a Leaf headband. He was _not_ going to fail, not this time.

The council had taken residence of the platform behind the Hokage, with the ANBU and jonin gathered below in front. Everyone of the present class was to his left as he took his place and looked at all of them head-on, everyone else from years past to his right. Taking a deep breath, he started to go over his routine one last time before he executed it.

'_Okay, start out with the shadow clones, have two of them doing the taijutsu drills as two more throw kunai and shuriken at the target dummies; then dispel them and move to the last three clones perform disguises twelve, eight, and twenty-one, and then each of us will spend a minute using the body flicker to move around the courtyard._'

"Begin!" came Iruka's call. Silence spread over the mass gathering as Naruto stood still as a tree. Then he broke the silence as he performed the sequence of signs for his first jutsu, calling it out as everyone that could recognized the last sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

From there being a single Naruto, there now stood a total of eight, each one exactly like the original.

Several of the jonin looked back at the Hokage with worried looks on their faces.

"Do not worry, this is part of the agreement; he did not look at the Forbidden Scroll, so no laws were broken," Sarutobi answered the unspoken question, a puff of smoke arising from his pipe.

The jonin looked back, still unsettled that Naruto had already mastered a very dangerous technique before becoming a certified ninja.

"All even clones, stand with me! Clones one and three commence the taijutsu as clones five and seven proceed with the weapon test!" the original Naruto shouted.

Each clone saluted quickly before taking their places. Two clones took up spots in the sparring zone, with two more clones standing across from each other as one held kunai and the other holding shuriken. The remaining three clones followed Naruto's example and each stood on a target dummy in one of the cardinal directions. "Weapons-clones, remember: two hits per target using the least amount of weapons! Taijutsu clones, fight using the third adaptation as long as the weapons portion goes on, afterwards continue for as long as I say or until one of you causes the other to dispel! After that, the remaining clone and the weapons clones will also dispel, leaving the three other clones and me to perform the remaining two portions. COMMENCE!"

Each of the clones nodded before moving in. The clones in the grass-covered zone charged each other, clashing together at the shoulder as the other two active clones started to take aim. One clone moved to the next pole, allowing for its partner to hit the pole directly across from him as he could do the same. Kunai and shuriken barely passed one another without touching above the heads of the clones now latched at the hands before landing squarely in their respective targets.

The sparring clone on the right side of the ring lowered his gravity point and pushed forward, getting under the other clone and hoisting over his shoulder and grabbing him firmly at the waist as he hefted him backwards. The other clone managed to turn the move around though as he planted his hands onto the ground and did a hand-stand which just barely got the two of them out of the line of fire as another kunai and shuriken flew through the zone and impaled their targets.

The airborne clone wriggled slightly until he managed to topple over his captor, giving him time to grab a free leg. The other clone watched the world go by as his opponent swung him in circles, more weapons flying just above them and landing in their targets of three more targets each.

"Five down, ten to go!" the real Naruto called out.

The sparring clones were now exchanging blows after the aerial one had managed to get out of his opponent's leg hold, now using the form of the Academy taijutsu Naruto had improved on to counter the standard form the other clone was displaying. At one point, every time they separated for a few moments there would be either a kunai or a shuriken flying in between them, before the standard taijutsu clone was finally flung out of the ring by the advanced clone's leg toss into a target dummy, soon being dispelled as the last kunai impaled in him the middle of his chest. The advanced clone stood up and wiped the sweat from its brow as the shuriken clone landed his last shuriken in the last post. The three clones saluted the real Naruto and then bowed to the audience briefly before dispelling.

There was much clapping from the crowd around the stage as Naruto almost fell from his perch. His classmates were amazed at his work, the teachers dumbfounded at his increase in skill, the assorted active shinobi speechless that he was still conscious, and the members of the council joining with the civilian parents in applauding the teenager.

"Very good Naruto!" Sarutobi called, tapping his pipe into a small bag, refilling it with crushed tobacco leaf from another and lighting it anew. "You have gone above and beyond the requirements for the taijutsu, weapons, and clone portions of the Genin Selction Exam. Now, you must perform the specified variants of substitution and transformation, as agreed upon between your tutor and the council," he called out. "Begin at your ready!"

"Just give me a second, the feedback still dings me a little yet!" Naruto responded, rubbing the back of his neck gingerly. With a couple deep breaths, he stood back up straight and pointed at the clone across from him as he started. "Alright guys, on the count of three, clone one shall assume disguise number twelve," pointing at the one to his left, "you're doing disguise number eight," and pointed at the last clone, "and you're going to do disguise number twenty-one. Got it?"

"Right!" the three clones responded in unison.

Naruto assumed the hand sign for his jutsu, calling out, "Ready!"

"One!" called out the clone across from him, mimicking his master.

"Two!" called out the one to his left, also forming the hand sign.

"THREE!" cried out the last clone, assuming the hand sign. All four Naruto figures disappeared into clouds of smoke with a cry of: "SEXY JUTSU!"

A moment passed as several of the shinobi face-faulted, having fallen victim to that very jutsu on occasion,Sarutobi included.

'_Where… did he come up with such an AWESOME JUTSU!?_' Kiba wondered.

'_Oh Naruto-kun…_' Ayame thought, placing her head in her hands.

'_If he's this imaginative with his jutsu, I wonder how imaginative he is in bed…_' Temari thought, a minor splotch of blood appearing from her right nostril.

The smoke clouds dissipated in the passing breeze, leaving four very different images of beauty standing in their place.

Each wore the same clothes, a black miniskirt with light green tube tops, white slippers covering their dainty feet. What set each of them apart were their physical features. They ran the gambit of short to tall, one a blonde, a brunette, a redhead, and one with silver hair, each having matching eyes.

The shortest was the blonde, her small figure offset by the ample bustline and petite hips, her hair done up in a tight bun on the crown of her head with bangs parting just above her widow's peak and framing her face to her ears. Her entire complexion was tan, like she spent every day of the year bathing in the sun.

Next was the brunette, with her hair done in a pair of low pigtails that sat to the middle of her back. Her average complexion set off her tight bust, her rounded hips catching a lot of eyes as she struck a pose and winked.

Then came the taller redhead, her hair done up in a high ponytail that almost touched the ground with her pale skin almost reflecting the color of it as the sun shone down on her. Her bustline may not have been as large as the first clone's, but she was full in the hips with a nicely shaped rear that she wasted no time in showing off to the crowd. She got a number of various cat-calls in return, and even a few of the witnesses actually fainted.

Then came the last clone, with the silver hair and eyes. Her hair was free-flowing in waves around her, assisting in creating a mysterious aura of her as it hid the majority of her chest and only let her wide hips peek out before it ended at her knees. Her dark skin glistened in the light of the midday sun, her strong arms wving to the peple at the platform.

Sarutobi had to disguise a coughing fit in order to use a healing jutsu to mend the burst blood vessels in his nose, many of the jonin before him doing the same. Even some of the clan heads had to as well, sans Shino's father. Only people that didn't get visibly affected by the jutsu were the women and the ANBU.

Well, not _all_ the women.

Then there was a burst of a joyous cry from the rooftop of the Academy as Jiraiya made his appearance, tissue boxes stuffed up both nostrils. "HOLY SHIT KID, YOU'VE GOT _TALENT!_" he roared as he landed in the middle of the spar ring. "How'd you like to help me with my research? You could be my assistant, and one day even take over for me!"

"I'm sorry," the blonde said, forming her hands through the sequence for the last jutsu.

"But we," continued the brunette, her hands in the last seal of the sequence already.

"Don't do," the redhead hissed, her hands also in the last sign.

"Smut work!" growled the silver-head, finished with the sequence.

"Body-Flicker Jutsu!" all four 'women' called out together. The four figures disappeared, soon returning to view on-stage surrounding the Hokage. "Besides, why would we want to go with an old man we don't know when the Hokage is all the sugar-daddy we need?" they all purred, rubbing their faces against his arms and shoulders.

The large old man lost all the tissue in his nose as he shot off the ground and over the wall, crashing into a distant tree from the scene before him.

Suddenly, a large puff of smoke surrounded Sarutobi, and once it was clear, there just stood one disheveled Hokage and a single, smugly smirking Naruto at his side, arms crossed as he waited for his final grade.

After putting away his handkerchief, Iruka wrote something on his clipboard before moving to the center of the sparring zone. "Will all of this year's graduating class please step forward and form a single line from left to right."

Naruto followed behind Sasuke as the graduates responded, the two of them taking the centermost spots. Each of them waited eagerly for the next announcement.

"Now that everyone has been tested," he glared at Naruto with this comment, "I am going to call out the names of those of you who have passed all five parts to the combat segment of the Genin Selection Exams. Those of you who failed one or two segments shall be called out after the first group stands beside me and you will need to wait until your name is called to move on with the rest of the graduating students. If your name is not called during the first the primary or secondary groups, or your name is called during the secondary group but not repeated, then I'm sorry but you will not be graduating."

Suspense grew as Iruka called name after name. Ino and Sakura were the first of the primary group's names, followed by Hinata, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Temari, and Sasuke. After they took spots behind the chunin instructor, Naruto looked on curiously.

'_What the fuck?_'

"This year's top male and female students of the graduating class are… Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke!" Iruka called out.

Ino let out a harsh screeching call for a recount as Sasuke commenced his 'fangirl-avoidance' jutsu that he had developed, consisting of constant substitutions with other male classmates. "This is our graduation Sakura, not a damn prom!"

"But it just proves that we're meant to be together, Sasuke-kun!"

"That's ENOUGH!" Iruka screamed, intitiating his 'big-head' jutsu. Quickly recomposing himself, he then read off the names of the secondary group's candidates, and then calling off the shorter list of those who'd passed with a ninety percent on the written exam. Only three out of fifteen of those called in the secondary group made it to the group behind Iruka, and none of them happened to be Naruto.

"I am now proud to present-"

Iruka was cut short as a dark aura started eminating from Naruto, his face growing grimmer by the second as he started flexing his hands. "Why **wasn't** I **called,** Iruka-**sensei?**" he growled through grit teeth, his posture lowering slightly as he seemed to hunch a bit forward.

"As I was saying…" Iruka continued, trying to ignore Naruto's fearful display. "I am proud to introduce this year's newest addition to Konohagakure's active-duty shinobi!"

'**Just let them know how much more powerful you've become, sweety-pie!**' Daki whispered into his mind.

'_Maybe…_' he replied, seeing his classmates receiving their hitai-ites from Kabuto and affixing them where they pleased.

Aisha noticed the agitation in Naruto's mood, and instantly nudged Sarutobi with her elbow. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and followed her gaze, then nodded and made his move. With a swirl of leaves, Sarutobi instantly took a spot in between Iruka and the angry blonde.

"I am here today to make a special announcement, concerning one student in particular," he started.

'**Oh poo! He's just had to go and ruin all my fun this time, didn't he?**' Daki pouted.

"This student has been at the Academy for the last seven years now, doing everything he can to become a member of our village's elite ranks. And today, he has finally succeeded in his goal." The hokage put away his pipe after emptying it one more time into his baggy, and pulled out a variant of the normal Konoha hitai-ite. "Will Uzumaki Naruto please come and stand before his Hokage?"

Naruto's anger drained away like poison from a popped blister as his classmates, graduates or not, formed a circle around him and the old man. He stepped forward until he was within arm's reach, uttering in a hushed voice: "You better not be yanking my chain, Sarutobi…"

"Now, will the Combined Village Council please join us, as I award Uzumaki Naruto, his headband?" Within a single blink of the eye, there stood behind the Hokage all twelve members of the council with indifferent looks on their faces. "And will the lady mercenary, Aisha of Spreyga, please join us as well?"

Silently, Aisha took her place right beside her student, a smirk spread across her face like butter on hot toast.

As the Hokage stepped forward, Naruto saw what was different about this headband: except for the one Aisha had strapped to her sword's sheathe, all hitai-ites he'd ever seen were silver with hers being tinted red. This one, however, was tinted black, matching the material the plate was attached to.

"Uzumaki Naruto, on behalf of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Combined Village Council and the Sandaime Hokage," Aisha started, taking the offered headband and unfurling its wrap, "I am honored to appoint you as an official tokubetsu genin of this village." She tilted his head down and wrapped the cloth around his forehead, tying the knot in back firmly.

He reached up gently, not believing what was now resting over his brow. "I… did it?"

Aisha smiled broadly, as did the old man standing next to her. The shinobi sect of the council nodded their heads as most of the civilian council stared in disbelief.

"Now then, all genin graduates of this year's class are to report to my office first thing tomorrow morning for squad and jonin instructor assignments," Sarutobi said, putting his pipe back in his mouth. "Naruto, you'll need to show up a tad earlier, as there are a few things that need to be discusses beforehand."

"I did it?" Naruto asked himself, zoning out everything around him.

The Hokage turned to Aisha with a strong look. "I'm going to need you to be at the meeting this evening, Aisha., when I discuss a few matters with this year's instructors and Iruka."

Aisha nodded her head and looked on as Ayame performed her new flying-glomp on Naruto, jumping over the crowd of people surrounding those that led the village and the newest genin in the shinobi forces.

"Congratulations, Naruto-kun!" she yelled, planting her lips firmly against his with her arms wrapping firmly around his neck.

"Hey, don't hog all of his time!" Temari whined.

"I did it," Naruto said when Ayame broke the kiss to stick her tongue out at the blonde kunoichi.

"You'll get your time, you and I both know it." Ayame nuzzled into Naruto's neck and closed her eyes. "Besides, it's not like we have to fight for him."

"I did it!" Naruto said, his eyes growing to the size of dinner plates.

"DOG PILE ON NARUTO!" Kiba's voice rang out above all the clapping. All the veteran shinobi raised their eyes as all students, even the genin from the previous two years (even _Neji_ of all people), proceeded to tackle Naruto and Ayame to the ground.

Teuchi laughed at his young tenant as he stepped up beside the Hokage. "I am so glad that Naruto was finally able to pass. His parents would be so proud of him at this moment," he said, hushing the last part so only Sarutobi and the ebon mercenary were able to hear. Both of them nodded, just as there was a sudden outburst.

"I did it!" Naruto exclaimed, springing up from the pile of laughing mismatched limbs that had accumulated on top of him. His friends flew all over the place with spectators dodging incoming genin.

Naruto then grabbed Temari's left hand in his right hand and Ayame's right in his left, with their free hands latching together. "I did it, I did it, I DID IT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, spinning the two girls in a circle.

The two girls laughed with him, the rest of the genin laughing. Well, Sasuke was making good use of Naruto's idea for escaping Ino and Sakura. This time, the Uchiha was utilizing even the jonin and ANBU as substitution materials to keep the rabid fangirls off him.

One by one, the council members disappeared, the parents and their children that did not graduate leaving not far behind. Without any inclination, the active ninja flickered from the courtyard, leaving just the genin with Ayame and Team Gai.

Naruto had an arm over both Ayame and Temari's shoulders as they in turn had an arm wrapped behind his back, all three of them red with excitement. TenTen was doing her best on keeping Lee from bursting into cheers about Naruto's 'eternal flames of youth' and Neji walked up to Sasuke, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hyuuga Neji, prodigy of the Hyuuga clan." Sasuke looked him square in the eyes, the old sensation to glare pushed aside as Naruto had once suggested and replaced with one of welcome indifference.

"Uchiha Sasuke, sole loyal Uchiha. Tell me, how much has he changed?" Neji asked.

"From what I saw in the start of the year, he was so much stronger than I was. It reminded me of my older brother, and that's why I fought so hard to prove I was better than him…" Sasuke admitted. "But after what happened barely a month in, I met him the day he was removed from the class, and we talked."

"What about?" the Hyuuga boy asked. He was curious to know how his former classmate had changed, and how he had managed to alter the life of an Uchiha.

"Mostly? It was about how I should change the person I had become after the massacre of my clan, to prevent the shattering of the infrastructure of the village," Sasuke said bleakly. "He said that, if I had continued on my path to self-empowerment and scorning everyone else, that things were going to eventually make the clans that shape our village's forces break away, and soon, kill the village by leaving a gaping hole in the biggest part of our economy."

"Really…" Neji commented, his gaze turning to the blonde teenager as he was now smiling the idiot he had first seen in the halls of the Academy those years ago.

Sasuke sighed with a smile. "Yeah. My clan's helped keep the interior of the village safe since the times of the Senju clan founding Konoha, and I don't want to break that. I've given up my plans to do anything to kill Itachi, but not to avenge my clan for what he's done. I will kill him one day…"

"Fate will be your guide, Sasuke. Do not let things push or block you, merely assist you. In the end, Fate will always show you what you were destined for," Neji said, placing his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"I did it!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist into the air. "I'm on my way to proving myself, so you better believe it guys!"

[---]

"Alright everyone, please settle down, we have much to discuss and set into record before we are finished tonight," Sarutobi said as he took his seat behind his desk. Iruka handed him the papers from his clipboard at the graduation ceremony. "Now then, you all know the list of genin, and so to crunch this down, let's get to the placements." He ruffled through the papers. "First up…"

"Lord Hokage, may I present my request?" said a member of the gathered jonin, his gravity-defying silver hair and cyclopean look causing him to stand out in the room.

"What is it, Kakashi? We don't have time to dilly-dally. I want to have this all done before too long," Sarutobi said.

"Sir, I feel it would be best that the Uchiha be entrusted to my squad for specialized instruction, since I'm the only ninja left in Konoha who can train him with his Sharingan."

'_I knew this was coming…_' the old man thought. "And who would you request as your other two students, if I were to appoint you Sasuke's jonin instructor?"

"To suit Sasuke's strengths, the Yamanaka or Haruno girls would be prospective genjutsu adepts, and for a taijutsu…" He trailed off, mocking an innocent tone, "perhaps either the Inuzuka or Akimichi heirs."

"Unfortunately Kakashi, Choji, Ino, and Kiba have already been placed on squads with specific purposes in store. As for Sakura, she is still a possibility."

"The Hyuuga heiress?" the cyclopean ninja replied, his eye turning into a 'U' shape.

"Sorry, also placed on a specialized squad." The old man puffed his pipe a monet. "Plus, Hiashi wouldn't stand for you to be his daughter's sensei, given your possession of a derivative of the Byakugan."

"Satori?"

"Being put on emergency undisclosed personal leave, expected to resume active duty next year."

"That only leaves-"

"And no to Naruto," Aisha interjected. "As per prior agreement with the council and Hokage, Naruto shall continue to be my student."

The gathered jonin looked at their leader with pleading looks, each of them secretly wanting Naruto on their squad after having seen his capacity that day.

"As she says, Naruto is off-limits to drafting. Due to his circumstance, coupled with Aisha's current success as his private tutor, she will remain under contract with the council and shall be effectively a jonin sensei, previous situational conditions to any status change withstanding."

Each jonin inwardly sighed in defeat, but Kakashi most of all. "But sir, would it not be best if I also trained Naruto? I _was_ one of his father's students, I can pass on what the Fourth Hokage taught me."

"You may indeed have been one of Minato Namikaze's only students, but I have a closer tie to Naruto," Aisha said.

This caught even Sarutobi off guard. He hadn't been told anything of this beforehand. "Please, do go on Aisha…"

"It will be easier to just show you my proof," she admitted heavily. "Sarutobi, do you by chance have anything that Kushina may have left behind, possibly her hitai-ite even?"

"Of course, but why?"

"Please, pull it out of the Fourth's storage scroll…"

The Hokage lifted an eyebrow. "But how…?"

"It only makes sense that the deceased Hokage has all his most personal possessions put away to later be given to a relative."

"Alright…" Sarutobi scooted his chair back and knelt down where his chair had just been. Focusing his chakra into a single point, a hiss sounded as a green seal glowed briefly. Moments later, and there sat a large scroll on his desk. He unfurled it and activated a seal down the scroll a bit. A puff of smoke appeared and left behind a stack of various things, the top of the stack being a hitai-ite with a whirlpool symbol.

"This is my proof…" Aisha leaned her sword against the wall before sliding the upper segment of her kimono from her body, She reached behind her back and started unraveling the lower section of her bandages. There were several gasps as the mark on her stomach came into full view of the rest of the room. It matched the symbol on the strange hitai-ite from the Fourth's sealed belongings.

"Those that are born to the kage of former Whirlpool were given this mark, the symbol that identified us as the future for our village, our people." She took the hitai-ite from the pile and held it above her stomach. "I, like Naruto's mother Kushina, am an orphaned kunoichi of Whirlpool. And also like her, I am blood related to Naruto."

"You _can't_ be serious!" came from Kakashi. "Kushina never said anything about having a younger sister."

"That's because Kushina's not my sister, she's my _aunt_. I am Naruto's older cousin, born just before the war that destroyed our village." She replaced the hitai-ite on the stack and rewrapped her stomach. "Her brother managed to get my mother and I out of the village before the war broke out; Momma managed to get us into a village on the contested territoroy between Iwa and Kumo. From there, she raised me as best she could until the wounds she suffered from the journey out of Whirlpool finally took her to Death's feet. Since then, I've been roaming, concealing my burden with Jiraiya's assistance. Luckily, mine wasn't as dangerous as Naruto's was."

She slid her kimono back into place despite the stunned looks on the faces around the room.

"Does… does Naruto know yet?" one kunoichi asked, her red eyes still wide.

"No, I haven't told him yet. He doesn't yet, because there has been no need for him to," Aisha said, sliding her sheathe back in it's rightful place.

"Were you ever-"

"Yes, I have already made plans to inform Naruto of our blood relation. But when he learns this, is _my_ choice, no one elses." She narrowed her eyes, a reptilian slit forming in place of the normal pupil to accentuate her point.

With a cough, the Hokage regained control of the room before anything else happened. "Alright, let's settle down now everyone, we haven't accomplished anything yet," he commented as he sealed everything back up, placing the scroll back under the floor.

"But I thought-" Kkakashi started.

"You merely _thought_ that you would acquire the Uchiha heir to further gain praise and renown, yes. But to actually _give_ Sasuke to you in a squad would contribute to a future that the council does not wish to occur."

"What future is so bad from Sasuke being directly taught by the only other Sharingan user?" Kakashi asked, his only visible rising slightly.

"It's the same reason that was presented when deciding to have Naruto removed from the class for private tutoring rather than Sasuke."

"But Hokage, that's absurd! The clan heirs all know that Sasuke is far above them!"

That's when shit hit the fan.

"Hatake, you may not have the blood or name to back up your 'god' complex that the Uchiha were renowned for, but apparently you've inherited it from that eye of yours, that your _teammate_ Obito gave to you on his deathbed!" Sarutobi shouted, his hands slamming down onto his desk. "You are under no circumstances an Uchiha! Therefore, you shall not be afforded any privileges that you may think you had merely because you held the only Sharingan! As of now, you are going to be conforming to _every_ regulation I have let you slide under!"

"I don't know what regulations you could be talking about…" Kakashi said innocently.

Sarutobi stood up and leaned over his desk, narrowing his eyes at the man in front of his desk. Everyone else, even Aisha, backed up against the nearest wall.

"For one, you shall not, from this point on, read, carry on your person, or otherwise come into contact with prohibited materials of any sort while on active duty and wearing your hitai-ite, including any mission assigned by the Board of Operations!" He pointed at Kakashi's supply pouch. "That include but is not limited to the books that you acquire that are written by Jiraiya, _Icha Icha_!"

This first regulation enforcement was so devastating to the Copy-Cat Ninja that he promptly fell limp and unconscious to the floor from the shock.

The old man closed his eyes, his breath ragged as he sat down. One jonin, his son by the fact he was the spitting image of him down to the smoking addiction, gingerly approached the ninja and nudged his head with his foot. "Fuck, never thought I'd see him do that…"

"Indeed," came his father's reply. "Now, before he returns to the land of the knowing, I'll take it none of you have any other comments or suggestions?"

None of the other jonin instructors spoke or moved.

"Good, then here are your squad assignments. Kurenai."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The red-eyed kunoichi stepped forward, her strange attire belying her status.

"As recommended by Hiashi, and seconded by the council, you shall be assigned Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, forming the first tracking squad in over ten years. You shall meet with your squad at training ground eleven when they leave this office tomorrow."

"Alright."

"Dismissed. Asuma," the old man went on.

"Hey," replied the smoker, taking Kurenai's spot after she left the office to prepare.

"As expected, you're being assigned the next generation's 'Ino-Shika-Cho' trio, using training ground eighteen."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"No, you're dismissed. Genma," Sarutobi said as his son left via the door.

Next came up a man with a senbon sticking out his mouth, his hitai-ite in bandanna form with the plate on the back of his skull. "Yes Lord Hokage."

"You are going to be getting Sakura, Banba, and Satori," he said.

"What's going to be the plan for the team with Satori out of the picture?" the jonin asked.

"Until Satori is on active duty, you will be having to focus on Banba and Sakura's overall combat skills. While both of them did fairly well in executing the jutsu exams, excelled in the written portion, their scores with taijutsu and weapons is rather poor. Both need tremendous work in all three fields of ninja skills before they can expect to do more than standard D-ranked jobs."

"And where does Satori stand opposed to her teammates, and how can we expect her absence to affect her skills?" Genma asked, switching the senbon to the other side of his mouth.

"She is adept in the basic fields just as her teammates are adept at history and protocol, and constitutes the opposite end of the spectrum for your squad. She tends to take more time to learn things due to a developmental problem, but has proven herself quite astute of combat skills. Her absence from duty will not affect her skills in any way. Dismissed."

"Alright," Genma responded, leaving a pile of leaves in his place.

"Are you sure these teams were properly balanced?" Aisha asked curiously. She knew something was up when Kakashi was declined as Sasuke's instructor.

Iruka spoke up for the first time, finally stepping in. "I thought some teams were unbalanced as well, but we are merely listening to the advice of the shinobi sect of the council. It was they who suggested that Sasuke not be 'awarded' to Kakashi for a genin student, based on the same theory that Sasuke not be given private tutoring."

"I'm also surprised that they've given the suggestion that I have Temari as well…" Aisha said, her eye catching the listing of teams on Sarutobi's paper. "…When in actuality, the council overall had requested that Sasuke AND Naruto be given to Hatake… Interesting how you _said_ other things…"

Sarutobi took the paper she had spotted and held it up, using his other hand to ignite the paper and let the ashes fall into his ashtray. "The only reason that the civilian council had any success with that request was that damned Shibi and his pragmatiscism. The other four clan heads voted against it."

"So, I'm being entrusted with not just the son and legacy of the Yondaime Hokage, but the Surviving Uchiha AND the emissary of Suna for students," Aisha said. She adjusted her weapon in her obi briefly before yawning. "In any event, I really must be going. I'm sure that Naruto's going to be needing a wake-up so he can get here on time."

"Alright, you are dismissed Aisha. Make sure to be at training ground fourty after you get Naruto here." Sarutobi handed the papers to Iruka, then looked back to the mercenary. "And be sure to have him arrive earlier than the others, there are a few things that he needs to understand about his position before the others arrive."

"Alright, I will. Have a good evening…" Aisha said yawning as she flickered out of sight via a dustcloud.

"Are you sure it's wise to go against the requests of the council Lord hokage?" Iruka asked with concern.

Sarutobi yawned stood up. "It's going to be alright Iruka. In the end, the council always sees that I'm right, and that my decisions prove to be in the best interests of the village." He looked back over his desk at the still out-cold form of Kakashi. "And get Gai in here to retrieve his roommate, because I won't tolerate him spending the night here."

"What about Kakashi's placement as a jonin instructor this year?"

"Don't worry, he wasn't going to pass anyone this year, just like he does every year. He's going to be placed back in ANBU for the time being."

"Yes sir. Anything else?" Iruka asked, tucking the paperwork under his arm.

Sarutobi placed his robe and hat on their hangers behind his chair, retrieving his own shinobi vest and hitai-ite. "No Iruka, that's all for tonight. I'll see you in the morning. Now go get some rest, you'll need it to deal with the genin tomorrow morning, and be there when I argue against the civilian council in the afternoon."

"Good night, Lord hokage."

The old man disappeared in a flurry of leaves as he went to the window and sending a rat summon to seek out Gai. He took a good look out at the night sky as he waited, thinking great thoughts and reminiscing over times soon to be overwritten in his memory.

'_I'm proud of you Naruto, you've managed to overcome all the odds stacked against you so fa. I can't wait to see how far you soar from here…_'

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

(Prinnies are seen laying beak-down in the stage as props lay everywhere)

**HOLY FUCK THAT TURNED INTO A BEAST!**

**I mean, seriously! I was **_**not**_** originally intending for the last year Naruto was at the Academy to be so long, but when I got it started, everything just flowed right out my fingers. This has seriously broken the record for longest chapter written by a good… 12-17k and I don't think I've read a chapter of any fic that's over 30k without being a one-shot.**

**Anyways guys, hope you enjoyed this chapter (after you've spent hours or even **_**days**_** reading it). By the time I finished it, I was actually coming up on my one-year anniversary of being a contributing author!**

(scratches chin in thought)

**Now that I think about it, I'm going to make this my official gift to all my readers when I can finally get this fucker posted.**

**Thanks for all of you loyalists! So until next time, stay safe, read the good shit, and FEED YOUR STARVING AUTHORS!**


	4. Business & Pleasure don't Mix

(Prinnies are seen drinking coffee and eating donuts on the edge of the theater stage)

**All righty folks, let's cut the chit-chat (mostly because I'm posting this chapter within ten minutes of having posted ch3, which was posted within 30 minutes of posting ch2 thus leaving me no time read any reviews) and get straight to the first day of everyone being a genin!**

**Now I know there are going to be some of you going 'what the FUCK man! I thought this was going to be a NaruAyame!', and it still is.**

…**I just felt like turning it into aNaruAyame/(small)harem fic, with Ayame still remaining the lead female in his life. **

**And there's BOUND to be those of you saying 'dude… you **_**seriously**_** went overkill with last chapter, you know how many chapters that should have been broken down into?', and to you, I say this: I'm sorry if it wasn't stated in the beginning of the first chapter, I know I stated it in my forum, but I know **_**somewhere**_** I said the first three chapters were respectively going to tell the story of Naruto's three attempts at becoming a genin of the Leaf.**

…**It just so happened that there was a shitload more that needed to be detailed than the fewer events in ch1 and 2.**

**How many of you can figure out the origin of the name I've given Kyuubi in this fic? If you're the first to get it right, I'll give you a cameo in either this fic or my NaruTayuya story, **_**Fluter & The Misfit**_** (your choice).**

(A hammer comes flying my way, Flonne panting with her eyes shifting between blue and purple)

**Fuck Flonne, maybe I **_**shouldn't**_** have made this into a '**_**Disgaea**_** crossover into **_**Naruto**_**' if you were going to do that…**

**But anyhoo, let's get the show on the road!**

(Prinnies run by, chased by a manic Flonne and Etna with flail and spear respectively, a banner trailing behind them reading

Sorry for the delay doods, but here's chapter four of _Noodles & Ninja Wire_'!

[---]

'**Do you have everything, puddin'-pop? Are those things Etna gave you in the scroll?**' Daki asked in a motherly tone.

'_Yes, Daki; the fox-fists and the scroll are still in my storage scroll… Now can you leave me be? I've got to hurry!_' Naruto called back mentally.

'**Alright then, be sure to make everyone respect you!**' the demon fox reminded before exiting his awareness.

There was a knock on his door, drawing the blonde's attention from the open scroll on his table. Setting the kunai set down, he moved to the door and opened it, Aisha standing on the other side. "Morning, Aisha."

"Morning, Naruto-kun," Aisha said sleepily, wiping out the remaining dust from the corners of her eyes. "Are you almost ready? You have to be there before any of the other genin graduates remember."

"Yeah, I'm just stowing the last kunai set in my scroll. After that, I'm grabbing a sandwich and heading out." Naruto moved back to the table and decided to just keep the kunai set on him as he rolled up and placed the scroll in the right interior pocket of his vest. "So what's going on with you now? Your contract with the village is over isn't it, now that I've finally become a genin."

Aisha smiled as she turned and flashed the red hitai-ite plate at him. "No, not everything I've come to Konoha to accomplish has been wrapped up yet, so Sarutobi's given me a genin squad to lead."

"I feel sorry for that squad; you're going to run them in the ground within the first week." He put the kunai into a lower leg pocket o his pants as he turned off the lights in his room and followed Aisha up the stairs.

"We'll see how long my squad lasts: from what I've been told, the three genin I've got are very durable specimens…"

Naruto shivered at that last comment, a bad feeling coming over him. "Alright, well I hope you don't kill them so early."

"Believe me Naruto-kun, I don't think I could get away with that," she replied with a smirk as she left the home. "Later."

Naruto waved at the closing door from the kitchen while looking in the fridge. He rummaged through the drawers, finally finding some roast pork and the block of cheese. He took them, placed them on the counter, and within a few moments had himself a thick sandwich. Returning the ingredients to their places, he clamped his breakfast between his teeth as he flipped the locks on the door, Teuchi and Ayame having left for the stand earlier that morning.

With his food still in his teeth carefully, he ran the sequence of hand signs, and instantly found himself standing before the Hokage. Interestingly enough, all the jonin instructors that had been at the graduation ceremony were now looking at him strangely as they took a step back.

"Mor'ing 'Ord 'Ohage," he said behind his sandwich. He lifted a hand and caught the thick meal as he chomped down with his teeth, catching the item rather than let it hit the floor. His other hand reached into his vest's right breast pocket and pulled out his hitai-ite, which he let dangle from one end of the material as he clamped down firmly again on his food after swallowing the first bite. He then picked up the other end of the headband and held it up to his vest, running one of the now visbly shorter ends through a squared metal loop close to the zipper on the left side and the other end through a similar ring close to the outside of the vest. The blackened plate shone brightly against the incoming early morning sunlight as Naruto commenced the consumption of his breakfast.

Sarutobi could only laugh at the display. "Good morning to you as well, Naruto. I see you wasted no time in getting here as ordered. That's good, especially for an individual in your position."

Naruto swallowed the last bit of his sandwich before using a napkin from a pocket to wipe his mouth and drink from a hidden hose in the collar of his vest.

The jonin instructors all gave him a very curious look at the surprising apparatus, but their attention was drawn to the door as it opened and in walked Aisha, her own surprise showing as she saw Naruto standing there. "Ugh… He used the body-flicker…" she said to herself, smacking the palm of her hand to her forehead.

"Hey Aisha," Naruto said, his attention still directed to the Hokage.

"Alright everyone, since all the sensei are here now, let's begin." Sarutobi folded his hands on top of his desk as he looked at everyone before him. "I'm not going to go over the squad assignments, as you instructors already know them. I will be directing each squad on which training ground to head to, and from there everything is in your hands. What we're going to go over now, is the status of Naruto's rank as tokubetsu genin."

None of the gathered shinobi made a move as they listened, wanting to get the day underway as soon as possible.

"First of all, if any of you are wondering why Naruto has been granted this classification, it should be quite obvious based on his performance at the graduation exams yesterday. Plus, there is the fact that Naruto is keeping the most dangerous threat our village has ever known." Sarutobi pulled a small scroll from the center drawer of his desk and slid it to Naruto. "Those are the guidelines in which you are to perform your standard and emergency duties, and circumstances in which you are to be treated as chunin. I expect you to read that scroll and know it within the next few days."

"Yes, Lord Hokage," Naruto said as he placed the scroll next to his supplies scroll in his vest.

"As for the rest of you, your students are almost here. So please make your way to your respective training grounds and be prepared to see your squads within an hour," Sarutobi said. "Dismissed."

The gathered jonin nodded, departing through body-flickers.

Naruto looked around as he waited, the sun barely rising over the trees forming a wall around the eastern edge of the village. He watched ninja taking to the roofs of nearby buildings after departing the lower floors of the Hokage Tower. A few moments of this passed before the door opened and in came Naruto's fellow graduates. Then he noticed someone missing. "Hey, where's Temari-chan?"

"No idea, she wasn't-" Sasuke started, but then Kiba but in and yelped as he pointed out the sliding glass door to the parade balcony across the room.

Coming to the Tower atop a large black fan was Temari. The other genin whistled and ooed and awed as she made a graceful landing on the balcony, Sarutobi opening the door.

"Good morning, Temari. I see you received your father's care package last night," he said as she walked in and joined Naruto.

"Yes, thank you for having it delivered, Lord Hokage." She took Naruto's arm in hers as everyone gathered in a line in front of the Hokage's desk.

The village leader took his seat and looked at the papers before him on the wooden surface. "Alright everyone, I'm proud to officially announce all of you as the latest addition to Konoha's ranks, the transfer of Aoshi Mimiru having been finalized yesterday as the last portion of forming our treaty with Sunagakure. From this day forth, Subaku no Temari is officially a citizen and kunoichi of our village."

The genin all gave a round of applause while she smiled and bowed. Temari gripped onto Naruto tighter as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. This in turn roused some cat-calls and whistles from the boys and the girls to giggle, Hinata of course blushing in sadness.

"Okay, that's enough of that. As of five minutes ago, all of you were officially on the clock for your first day," Sarutobi said with a chuckle. "Here are you squad members. First up, team eleven. Haruno Sakura, Kitora Banba, and Isawa Satori: you will be reporting to the stadium near the Hokage Monument. With Satori off the roster until further notice, you two will work to hone your combat skills with your sensei. Be sure to be understanding with him and look at things from his perspective, and everyone will be happier."

Sakura and her new teammate, a brunette boy with a pair of blue shorts and sandals with a grey long sleeved shirt, his short hair brushed back with his hitai-ite proudly on his forehead on a black band that matched the wristbands he wore, bowed and stepped back towards the door and waited for the meeting to be over.

"Next, squad ten consisting of Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba. You are being assigned to the jonin at training ground eleven, under the pretext of becoming a tracking and reconnaissance squad. The three of you possess the best abilities in your class for this assignment."

"Alright!"

"…"

"Y-yes, Lord Hokage…" The three of them stood opposite Sakura and Banba at the door as their 'supreme leader' called out the next group.

"With team nine still an active-duty genin squad, the next team assignment is team eight." Sarutobi flipped to the next paper in the stack and looked at it briefly before looking back to the remaing six shinobi. "Team eight shall consist of Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru, and the three of you shall report to training ground eighteen to meet your jonin. You will be mainly a tactical squad of light combat and deep covert operations, given your range of skills and the history of success your fathers had as a squad."

At this point, there was a bad and terrible feeling coming off both Ino and Sakura, and everyone could tell that it was aimed at Temari. Shikamaru had to grab both of Ino's arms in order to prevent her from lunging at the girl as Choji and Banba formed a wall in front of Sakura, hoping she wouldn't attempt the same. Shikamaru finally got her to the door and as the other two boys kept a firm grasp on the pinkette's arms as the three remaining genin took center stage in front of the Hokage's desk.

"As for the three of you, you are going to be meeting your jonin instructor at training ground forty. You are the most promising genin we of the Leaf have seen in a long time," he said as he got up. "The three of you are all strong and gifted in different ways, and as such, you are going to be trained as a heavy combat invasion and defense squad."

"This is going to be interesting, having love-birds for teammates…" Sasuke jabbed, a smirk on his face.

"I'm surprised the council approved this setup," Kiba grumbled. Akamaru yipped from his hood as he popped his head out.

"It's only logical that something here was not set up by the council, but rather on the Hokage's personal opinion." Shino adjusted his headband a bit as he glanced at each squad. He merely put aside the fact that his other teammate was saddened by the arrangement her head slightly dipped.

"Now that you all have your assignments, you are all dismissed. Please do not make your instructors wait forever, as they have things planned that must be taken care of today before your real training begins." He sat back down and put his pipe back in, a plume of smoke bellowing from it. "You now are part of this village's backbone, the forces that protect and further our purpose. Do us proud and do not back down from anything!"

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" they all rang out, bowing deeply. Squad by squad, Sakura's being the first one as Banba almost forced her out the door to prevent a confrontation as Shikamaru and Choji doing the same with Ino. Both kunoichi were fuming visibly at the squad selections, but inwardly mimicked Hinata's mood knowing that there wasn't anything they could do about it, even with having their mothers on the civilian council. Hinata cast a sad look at Naruto who was answering Sasuke's quiet question before she followed her own teammates out the door, her head turning immediately as she let her gaze wander to Naruto and Temari holding hands.

"C'mon, let's hurry up and get to the training ground," Sasuke said. "Besides, you never know which psycho we got saddled with."

"I'm sure whoever we got, is gonna be a piece of work," Temari added. "Originally, I was supposed to be on a squad with my twin Kankuro and our little brother Gara, with this freak Baki as our instructor. He was scarred so bad in the last war by some flaming shrapnel when he got caught in a Kumo trap, and it's like looking at the back of your hand if you were to cut it up a few times and then slam it down and keep it on a hot plate until you got third-degree burns."

Naruto stretched and placed an arm over Temari's shoulder, Sasuke placing his hands in his pockets. "All that matters is that our sensei be strong enough to keep us out of trouble…"

"_Us_ out of trouble? You're the one with the reputation for pranking!" Temari said with a smirk.

"Nah, I've pretty much handed that one off to the old man's grandson, Konohamaru."

"So any idea where we're supposed to be going, _tokubetsu genin_ Naruto?" Sasuke said, looking at his teammate out the corner of his left eye as they stepped foot on the street in front of the centralmost building of the village.

"Yeah, it's one of the places I used to spend my time in on days I would skip the Academy or when I wanted to be alone. It's within eye-shot of number forty-four, 'the Forest of Death'." He looked up and down the street before facing to the northwest, pointing with his free arm. "We gotta head up yonder. Or…" he grew a sinister grin on his face.

Before Sasuke could retaliate, Naruto pulled him in with his outstretched arm, then put both his teammates in headlocks.

"What are you doing, Dobe?" the Uchiha growled, dipping into his old façade momentarily.

"Naruto-kun, I hope you remembered to use deodorant this morning, because I don't go for the whole 'manly stench' thing…" Temari hissed, gripping her new battle-fan in her hands.

"Don't worry!" the blonde said, getting his hands close enough and doing the signs. "We'll get there in a flash! Body-Flicker Jutsu!"

In a swirl of leaves, the three genin went from the front door of the Hokage Tower to the center of a grassy field with boulders and large ancient trees. He released the choke-holds on his teammates quickly as he looked around and inhaled deeply the fresh breezes blowing through. "Ahhhh, just like I remember! Haven't had the time to come up this way since last summer!"

"Then I'm sorry I've been preventing you from being able to relax, Naruto-kun!" came a voice from the far side of the field.

"Oh fuck…" he whispered, freezing in his tracks.

"Hey, isn't that…" Sasuke started, shielding his eyes with a hand over them so he could see.

"…Your private tutor?" Temari finished as she stood her fan on end.

Indeed, Aisha was standing in the shade of the largest tree in the training ground, her sword still sheathed as it leaned up against the tree behind her. "Come over here you three, so we can get past the paltry things and get started!"

"What have I done…?" Naruto asked mockingly. "I just had to go and open my mouth about having a strong sensei, and we get the one person in the entire village who was able to get not one but _two_ jutsu into **my** skull in less than six months!" he added as he led the way.

Sasuke and Temari exchanged looks of suspicion and gloom as they followed, neither understanding his meaning.

"Please, have a seat. I didn't know if any of you aside from Naruto had the time to eat breakfast so I went ahead and picked up something from a bakery as I was on my way from Sarutobi's office," Aisha said as she nudged a box to them as they entered the shade of the tree. When Temari opened it, there sat a wide array of donuts and other delicate pastries. "Just don't expect to get treated like this _too_ often. This is only going to be a once in a while occurrence. Besides, too many sweets would make you blow up like an Akimichi!"

Naruto took a lemon-filled pastry as Sasuke grabbed a double-chocolate donut, Temari snatching up a raspberry Danish with cream cheese icing. "Thank you, Aisha-sensei," they all said as they sat, waiting patiently as they ate for her to begin.

"Good thing you are all well-mannered, otherwise I may have thought twice about doing this again. Now, let's get the formalities out of the way." Aisha knelt down and took a chocolate-iced bar with grape filling and took a bite as she began. "As Naruto may have told you at some point, my name is Aisha, or in the bingo-book, I'm called 'Aisha of Spreyga', after the small border town I was raised in between Iwa and Kumo."

"I specialize in earth-based jutsu, and a few other talents as well. But at this point, you don't need to really worry about those; you'll find out those in due time." She looked over Sasuke and Temari closely as they ate. "Now, I already know Naruto as do the two of you, but would you be so kind as to introduce yourselves to me properly?"

Sasuke looked at Temari, wordlessly asking if she would first.

She finished her mouthful of Danish and cleared her throat. "I am the Suna emissary, Subaku no Temari. I am a wind-adept with a proficiency for fans of any size." She set her fan down next to her gingerly and opened it slightly. "I carry a large fan for most instances, which can sometimes be used as a glider if I can find a suitable vantage point for starters. I also carry," she said, pulling two smaller fans from a concealed compartment on her big fan, "two smaller hand fans for more close-quartered combat. Before I left Suna for this duty, the Kazekage gifted me with a summoning scroll contract for weasels."

"Funny, that's what my brother's name translates to…" Sasuke said, scratching his chin.

"Well, don't talk about your brother Sasuke; talk about _yourself_ instead. After all, you're not living in his shadow here," Aisha said, taking another bite of her donut.

Sasuke put his donut down as he spoke. "I am the last of the Uchiha clan in Konoha, Sasuke. I have yet to find my own elemental affinity, and have yet to also awaken my bloodline limit the Sharingan. I am proficient however with fire-style jutsu and have fair skill with weapons and taijutsu. I have yet to find anything indicating if we had a clan summons, but that's not high on my list of things to do."

This made the mercenary raise an eyebrow. "And what _are_ you striving to achieve in life?"

"Simple: first is to avenge my clan by removing my brother from this world, and then to find myself a suitable companion to raise a family. I don't care how long it takes, but as long as I can accomplish those two things, my life will be complete," he responded, strength floating in the air around him.

"Now, here's another question. Given two options about how to go and achieve those goals, which would you choose: doing anything it takes, even at the cost of shunning everything and everyone around you, or embracing those around you and asking them for help?"

"From what I remember, my brother was shoved through everything in his career with the village on his own, not asking or being offered anything but a gift on a silver platter." Sasuke resisted the urge to destroy his donut like it was Itachi's head as he continued. "I would no sooner copy my brother's life and succeed if it then meant that I'd lose everything I want to do afterwards. I'd sooner have someone help me out with my goal, than become that which I hate most. I don't care if I do it alone, or with even a single other person, but I will kill my brother for what he's done."

Naruto was nodding his head, that is, until Aisha smacked him. "ow…." He muttered.

"You shouldn't have stayed up so late last night then with Ayame; you _knew_ you were needed in Sarutobi's office, and so you should have planned on being able to get your usual amount of sleep!" she scolded.

"Sorry, sensei," he said, stifling a yawn.

"Alright then, you're forgiven this time." She reached over and grabbed the box. "Before I put this away for later, anyone want a last donut?" There was no question about that when each of the genin took another donut, this time each trying someone else's first choice. Aisha picked up the Danish matching Temari's as the blonde kunoichi took Naruto's, and Sasuke taking Aisha's as Naruto devoured the double-chocolate.

A few minutes later when the sun was higher in the sky, Aisha stood and placed the food back by her weapon and faced her students. "Now then, to get to our first point of order. Naruto, please come here."

"Alright," he responded. He stood up and walked to be in front off her.

She moved forward and pulled his head closer and leaned in to whisper: "Remember how I told you that there was a task I had to accomplish here that involved you?" Nod in response. "Well, there's one more thing you must do to prove to me you are worthy." Grunt of confusion in response. "You must decide if your teammates are worth trusting with your _secret_."

"Are you sure that's wise? I mean, they _are_ my teammates, and eventually they need to know…" he trailed off.

"When they find out is only your decision for so long Naruto-kun. If you wait too long, something may happen that lets it out in the open, and then you never know how they're going to react…" she whispered back. "But again, this is _your_ decision to make alone. I can't do it for you."

He sighed and closed his eyes. His teammates were giving each other looks of worry as he looked over his shoulder at them.

"Hey guys, I need to go think some things over; Aisha-sensei needs time to analyze your strengths anyway," he said, taking a bite out of his donut while walking away.

"Leave him be. There is something he needs to decide for himself," Aisha spoke firmly, stopping the kunoichi as she stood. "Besides, he's right. I need to gauge the two of you more accurately than how you were tested yesterday," she said, an evil glimmer in her eye.

Sasuke and Temari gulped, sensing imminent pain and suffering in the hours to come that Naruto was gone.

"Now, let's start with taijutsu…"

[---]

'**So what's the matter Kit?**' Daki asked, cautiously breaking the silence.

'…_I'm not completely sure it's a good idea to tell my teammates about you and why I've been scorned by everyone just yet…_' he replied, finishing off the last bite of donut as he came to his favorite thinking stop atop the Fourth Hokage's head.

'**Well, as your sensei said, you can't put the decision off forever sweetie. It's going to hurt them if they find out from someone else rather than you telling them.**' Daki oozed a soothing flood of feelings over him as she went on. '**Besides, if you keep this kind of thing from your new girlfriend, how can you expect to rebuild your clan?**'

'_You know that restoring my family isn't that high of a priority to me, not right now anyways,_' he responded, his mind easing a tad. He gazed over the village from his vantage point, seeing other ninja running hither and thither across the rooftops as civilians gaily walked the streets unknowingly guarded from above. '_I guess… I should tell them. But how can I prove what I'm saying? Do you have any idea how we can prove that you truly are sealed in me Daki?_'

The demon took a moment to mull the idea over before a thought popped in. '**Tell me shnooky-bear, do you have any money?**'

'_Yeah, I haven't really touched my savings. Why…?_'

'**Do you know if there's any high-quality jewelers' shops or gem-merchants in the village?**'

'_I think… There might be a shop over near that bitch Tsukino's we could try. What are you getting at?_'

'**Make your way. We need us a large crystal with as few flaws to it as possible before we can do anything about your dilemma.**' Her words sent a chill down his spine and he could have sworn the spirit of his wallet just croaked in fear.

[---]

"Hello, is there a shopkeeper in?" Naruto called, entering the store with the aid of one of his disguises. This one he had based off Ayame, with just a bit more height and scaling her figure to be the same weight at a slimmer figure.

"How may I help you miss?" came a young woman's reply, her navy blue blouse a brighter aspect of the shop combined with her pale skin and fading blonde hair. "Anything in particular you're looking for or just window-shopping?"

'**Ask if she carries uncut stones first.**'

"Yes, I'm looking to have something crafted. Would you by any chance carry any uncut stones, about a foot in all directions," the 'girl' responded.

The clerk looked at her with a strange look. "Any preference on the exact stone?"

'**Yes, you need something clear, or at least fairly translucent. If nothing else, pale colors will do.**'

"A geode if possible. Clear and unflawed as you have. If nothing else, at least a pale colored quartz, maybe yellow or green would be suitable."

"Hm… Let me see what I may have. Is there any price range you're working within?" the clerk asked.

"No, I have enough to cover the costs."

The clerk nodded and disappeared behind the curtain to the back. "I'll bring out a few selections for you to examine."

As the clerk was in the back, Naruto gazed around at the assorted pieces on display. He then caught sight of a pair of necklaces in the display case near the cashbox. Upon further inspection, he found they had beads carved out of a red stone, possibly garnet, and each one had a different front piece gem for the attention-focus. The one on the right had a sapphire cut in an elongated hexagon dangling from a gold link attaching it to the rest of the necklace, its main wire also being gold. The necklace next to that was a tiger's eye topaz stone with silver wire, this one cut into the shape of a pentagon. Both stones were faceted in all directions, making the stones robust.

"Here we go, the best selection I can show you at the moment, straight off the caravan of traders from last month's Kumo run." The clerk set down a tray cushioned with a flat pillow, carrying a varied assortment of stone cubes and geodes. There were large cracks in a number of the geodes, and the cubes of colored stones seemed to have ingrained flaws.

'**Oh my… pick up the one in that corner, the one next to her left hand.**' Daki commanded.

As told, he picked up the specified cube. It was a dim red cube, possibly red quartz or a lackluster ruby even. Holding it up to the overhead lighting, there were absolutely no flaws, no scratches even in this cube.

"Ah yes, the famed 'blood-gem of Spreyga' that one's called. It's a fairly obscure gem and hard to come by, what with the only place to find any nodes of the gem locked away between the borders of Iwa and Kumo," the shopkeep said. "When it does get out of that little village, whoever finds it makes a hefty sum, enough to actually leave. The trader, if they aren't caught and thrown in prison for carrying it, can retire when it sells. Are you sure you can afford it?"

'**This will be perfect for what we need, so go ahead.**'

'_But what's to say I _can't_ afford it?_'

'**Then I'll take care of it; after all, a Netherworld vassal isn't a non-profit gig.**'

"Yes, this will do just nicely. How much will it run?" the 'girl' asked.

"Let's see, that came it just last month at the height of runners' season, it's visibly perfect… I _was_ able to snag a good crate full of this… For this particular stone, I'll give it to you for, about ten thousand yen. That's including a ten percent discount since you seem to have a good eye." The clerk looked the cube over carefully as Naruto pulled out his wallet and handed the bills over. "Now, before we finish the transaction it seemed like you were wanting more than just a cube of stone. Was there anything else I could get for you?"

'**Yes, do you do cuts and polishes or know of someone that can? You need this cut into a few things.**'

"By any chance would you happen to do your own cuts here, or know anyone who would be able to turn it into some items for me? I need them rather fast unfortunately, so I will be offering a bonus for extra work," Naruto responded.

The shopkeeper nodded as she placed the tray back on a counter on the other side of the back wall. "Yes, we thankfully do do our own cuts here, to minimize the cost of our products. What are you needing specifically?"

'**Two lense, like for a pair of goggles, and then two discs about an inch thick by a two-inch diameter, one side on each disc being rounded to rest comfortably in the palm of a hand.**'

"I'll need a section of this cut down to form lenses, to fit into a specially crafted pair of frames I've commissioned at another shop for one. About three inches in diameter at half an inch thick," Naruto said.

"Alright…" the woman said as she wrote it down on a piece of notepaper. "What else?'

"Then I'll need two more cuts, both need to be an inch thick while two inches in diameter, one side to both of them buffed and rounded to fit comfortably in the palm of the hand. The other side will need to be buffed to a high-reflective finish if possible."

"Okay… If I'm going to get these cuts done, I'll need to close shop for the rest of the day," the blonde woman said. "In total, you're looking at twenty-three thousand now. I'll have these done by five, when my shop normally closes."

"All right. I hope to see good work!" Naruto feigned a cheerful smile. "Cash before or after the cut?" he asked, still holding onto the ten thousand.

"I'll take the ten thousand for the stone, and you'll pay the remaining thirteen when I've finished the cuts," she responded as she held out her hand.

"I'll also take the sapphire and tiger's eye necklaces right there," he added, pointing with one finger as he used the others to pull out another ten thousand yen and placed it on the first ten thousand.

"Good eye there. The sapphire is from Wave and the tiger's eye came from a trader passing through the outskirts of Ame." The older woman pulled the necklaces out and placed them gently in a thin box, handing it to Naruto in exchange for the twenty thousand. "Now will you or someone else be coming to pick up your order tonight?"

"I have to take care of things at home for tonight so I'll be sending my friend's boyfriend," the 'girl' replied, inwardly smirking. "He'll tell you that Natsume sent him."

The shopkeeper flipped the sign on the near window from 'open' to closed' as she escorted 'Natsume' out the door. "Alright, then tell him that Atsuko will be waiting for him around five this afternoon. Good luck to you!"

"Thank you for being so kind!" Naruto replied as he took his leave.

A few moments passed before 'Natsume' slipped into an alleyway, a cloud of smoke later and Naruto walked out the other end with a grin on his face.

'_That turned out better than expected. Hardly even touched my wallet!_'

'**Yeah, that did turn out cheaper than I expected. In the Netherworld, that same stone would have gone for a couple million hel.**'

'_So what's the deal with having a couple of lenses cut from that cube anyway? You mentioned something about a pair of goggles…_'

'**In time you're going to have to make the trip from this world to the Netherworld; unfortunately since you're a mortal, you can't see the portals. In the next few months, you're going to need to find someone that can sew as if her fingers were the needle itself, because the rest of the goggles are going to require the touch of someone that can almost bend thread and cloth to their will.**'

"I'll keep an ear out then…' Naruto responded dully as he looked at the crowds in front of him. '_So what are those other pieces for anyway?_'

"**Oh those are going to be for you to cast a jutsu through!**' Daki replied. '**They're going to be scrying crystals, objects in which you cast a jutsu through in order for desired images to be visible in.**'

'_Aren't they going to be a little small though?_'

'**Never said they would actually be what you would be looking at, silly-kitty! The jutsu you'll be using will focus your thoughts through the scrying crystals in your chakra, and the crystals will then project what you're trying to convey above them, to a more realistic scale!**'

'_Well, I hope we manage to get this done right. I don't want to have my teammates looking at me like I've got acorns for brains if this doesn't pan out._'

'**(yawn) Don't worry Kit, everything will be **_**fine**_**. Now go find a place to wile away the time; we've still got a few hours before Atsuko-chan will have those crystals ready. Oh, and be sure to ask for the remnants of the unused cube as well! You did pay for the entire thing after all! I'm off to nap now, so wake me up when we return to the training ground…**'

'_Will do, Daki…_'

[---]

There came a knocking on the shop door as soon as the clock on the back room's wall chimed five o'clock. Atsuko put down the buffing tool as she dusted the red dust from her apron, making her way to the front. As soon as she opened the door and saw who it was, she almost slammed the door in Naruto's face.

"Excuse me Miss Atsuko, but Natsume sent me to pick up her purchases," he said through the doorway, his right foot firmly lodged in between the door and the frame.

"Oh. I see. Do you have the other part of her payment then?" the woman asked coldly as she opened the door for him to enter.

Naruto silently flashed her the thirteen thousand-yen bills, quickly stowing them back in his pocket as she attempted to grab them. "First the items, then you receive full payment."

"Stay here, I'll go get them." She left in a hurry and got back in half the time, a box in her hands. "Here you go, now the due balance."

"Here you go; Natsume will be quite pleased with your efforts," he said, taking the box as he handed over the cash. "Good day, Miss Atsuko."

She watched him leave quietly as her hands counted the bills. "At least he didn't end up destroying my shop like he did Tsukino's…" she said to herself as she locked up the shop. She swore she'd be more careful of her customers from now on despite the boy having caused no problems.

Before she reached the back room again, there came another knock at the door. "What is it now?" she asked as she opened it once more.

"Sorry to disturb you again Miss Atsuko, but Natsume made it very clear I was also supposed to return with the gem remnants left from the carvings," Naruto said, the first box tucked under his arm.

"Very well, just a moment…" she gruffly responded. The door closed once more, and a few moments later she thrust a cloth bag to him that felt like it would rip from the contents' edges if allowed. "There, the rest of the blood-gem she bought is in there. Now off with you!" She slammed the door and bolted it shut, leaving a smirking Naruto on the other side.

Naruto opened the box slightly as he walked down the avenue, peeking at the items. Just as agreed, there sat the four pieces of cut gem. Two domes and two lenses, perfectly matching the measurements he requested.

He put the box under his arm once more and held the mouth of the gem-bag in his mouth as he did the body-flicker jutsu.

"I hate you Naruto…" Sasuke let out, his voice full of exhaustion as he lay sprawled on the ground next to the box of donuts. Temari was breathing heavily as she sat back against her fan.

"You better… make this up to me, Naruto-kun…" she breathed out in gasps.

"So, have you made your decision yet Naruto?" came Aisha's voice from the tree. There, at the point where it split into multiple stems from the original trunk. She dropped down from branch to branch until she landed next to him and spied the containers he held. "And what have you brought back?"

He held out the bag to her as he spoke. "Yeah, I'm going to do it. And you might like to see what I picked up to help."

She took the bag gingerly. Upon opening it, her eyes turned into dinner plates. "But where…? And how could you…?"

"What did you do now Dobe?" the Uchiha asked.

Temari took a bite of a glazed donut and looked at him. "Better be something worth the trouble we went through _without_ you," she hissed, whether it was temper or pain Naruto couldn't tell.

"Those are merely the stray pieces from a larger piece I bought. I had a cube of this turned into these," the blonde said as he brought the box forward and opened it for Aisha to see.

As the sunlight hit the domes in the cushioned box, Aisha's eyes glimmered brightly like she was about to cry. "Oh Naruto-kun… those are flawless!"

Temari caught sight of the sparkling, and instantly forgot her pain as she sprang up and dashed to his side. She actually started drooling at the magnificently cut and polished gems shone in the daylight.

Sasuke grunted as he stood up from the ground, dusting himself off. Taking the other side of their sensei, he looked curiously at the contents of the box. "Strange gems you picked up Naruto. How much did they set you back?"

The fox container smirked as he set the box in it's own lid. "For the cube of blood-gem, only ten thousand; for these cuts, that was another thirteen. And then there was also a couple of other things," he said as he pulled out the box with the necklaces, Aisha taking the first box from him to examine the stones better.

"What do you have there?" Temari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Close your eyes and turn around, you'll find out," he teased.

She smiled as she obeyed, and felt something slip around her neck softly just as she heard a click. "Alright, you can look down now."

There, just above the top of her shirt sat a sapphire in the shape of a flawless geode hexagon. She noticed the garnets and the gold, then the smile on Naruto's face. She immediately tackle-glomped him to the ground and planted a firm kiss on his lips, getting his arms to wrap around her in response.

"You seem to always be able to wrap them around your finger, don't you Naruto," Sasuke said with a laugh.

Aisha held up one of the lenses to the sun as she spoke for her other male student. "If you think that's something, you should join us for dinner tonight and see how his other girlfriend reacts when she get hers."

Sasuke looked at her with a quizzical look. "How do you know he got two necklaces? By the looks of this, he spent nearly thirty thousand, and that had to have almost wiped him out!"

"Naruto isn't the kind of guy to date more than one girl and then buy only one of them something," she countered, holding up the other lens now. "If he wants to keep the peace between them, he needs to spend both time and money equally between the two, and it's going to be more interesting if he gets any more girls before he finally quits…"

Temari finally let Naruto off the ground as she fidgeted with her new necklace. Quickly composing his clothes, he looked at the sky and then looked to their sensei. "Aisha-sensei, I need the box back now please."

She put the lens back where it belonged as the box transferred back to Naruto. He set it down and grabbed the first dome.

'**Grab the second one as well Kit, I'm going to be making my debut here while you've got the other scryer showing what I talk about.**'

'_Alright…_' he said as he picked up the second dome. He took a deep breath and sat down, the breath coming out as he did so. "Sasuke, Temari, there's something the two of you need to know about my life before things go much farther…"

Both his teammates sat down across the box from him with Aisha next to him. "What's the matter, Naruto-kun?" Temari asked, wanting to hold his hand.

"Nothing's the matter, it's just this isn't easy for me to say… So I'm just going to do it," the blonde said, determined to get it over with. "Fourteen years ago, the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked the village just as we've been told. But during its final confrontation with the Yondaime Hokage, he found that he was unable to kill the beast. So instead, he gave up his life, literally, to seal away the demon's spirit and unlimited chakra into an infant just born that day, without fully formed chakra coils so that the child could adapt to the demon's presence and become the village's savior. Doing the sealing cost the Yondaime his life as the price he paid to seal Kyuubi, and the child he used to contain the demon was his own newborn son."

"I was born on October tenth, fourteen and a half years ago, so one Kushina Uzumaki from the land of Whirlpool. She had met my father during the last war, and their marriage had been secretly conducted to prevent the council from butting in. They only had me as their heir before they both died the day Kyuubi attacked," he said, a tear dripping down his cheek. "My father… was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of our village."

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization as Temari buried her face in her hands. Aisha moved over and sat beside Temari, the kunoichi easing into her awaiting shoulder as her tears came out.

"I am that which has been keeping the nine-tailed demon fox at bay for the last fourteen years, and that's why nearly every single person in this village has come to hate me. Only recently was I made aware of these things, after the incident in a weapons shop two years ago. Since then, I've been hiding the fact I know what I contain a secret from everyone that doesn't need to know. But since you two are my teammates, I felt it be the right thing to do to let you both know my burden before anyone else tells you…"

"How do we know you're not just trying to prank us?" Sasuke asked calmly.

Temari swiped back at him from Aisha's shoulder with her right arm at that question. "I've seen his pain! I've witnessed his hurt! I've seen others treated that way! Now I know why I felt so attracted!" she cried between sobs.

Naruto let out a sigh as he drew out the two scrying foci. "If you don't believe me just yet, and you don't see the pieces coming together in your mind from clues in the past, then let the fox speak for herself."

He placed the two crystals down on the lid of the box and did a set of four handsigns before placing one hand over each one. "Demon Art: Demon Imagery Jutsu," he said. He then picked up the crystals with the rounded sides to his palms, his chakra flowing through them.

A moment later, and the one in his right hand cast an image above them all of a women with nine tails and a skin-tight body suit of white and brown, revealing everything as her hair swayed out from her neck in two large tufts.

"**Hello there cutey-pies! I'm Daki, the Kyuubi no Kitsune as you humans know me. I am terribly sorry for the destruction I caused those years ago. But here I am, serving my time like a good little foxy!**" the image said.

Temari looked up at the image as Sasuke's jaw dropped.

"**I'm sure that the Academy has shown you all images taken by courageous photographers the night I came over, so here's my proof!**" she said. A snap of the finger with her left hand and suddenly the visage of the tailed woman was replaced with a very large fox, the same nine tails flailing back and forth behind its main body as she sat up. Her golden eyes focused menacingly on the two other genin as Aisha whistled idly. "**Now this is the form that all people in your world associate me with while the form you first saw me in was that of my natural form.**"

Everyone remained quiet as Daki reverted to her 'natural' form. Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes off her as he noticed how her breasts jiggled with every movement. Aisha promptly smacked him upside the head before the trickle from his nose turned into a full-blown rocket-launch.

"**Well, I was originally going to show you all a few things, but it seems we've run out of time for now. Let's try and do this little get-together another time, shall we?**" Daki said as she leaned over and blew a kiss at them. "**Alright muffin-lump, you can release the jutsu now!**"

The demon waved cheerily at them as her image faded when Naruto closed the chakra flow through the crystals.

"Damn, I hope I don't have to focus that hard too often…" he said as he put the gems in the box and put the lid back on. Pulling the storage scroll out of his vest and opening it up, he wrote down 'scrying' on the next blank section and promptly sealed the box away.

Aisha watched his face as he put the scroll back in its place, neither of his teammates saying anything let alone moving. Her movements disturbed the two of them enough that they snapped out of their daze, then realized that Naruto wasn't looking at them.

'_Maybe I shouldn't have told them this soon… Their silence seems to seal the deal…_' he thought darkly. That's when he was blindsided by his teammates knocking him to the ground, Temari first and then Sasuke second.

"You should have (sob)… told me sooner Naruto-kun (sob)…" Temari said as she buried her face in his chest.

"Naruto, you don't need to be ashamed of what's happened to you," Sasuke said as he sat back up and scooted to the side. "After all, thanks to you I've managed to get my demons under control. I don't let the past define my future, only my actions in the present. You should take your own advice sometimes."

"Naruto, it's time."

The blonde teenager looked above his head to see Aisha standing there, a message scroll in her hand. "Naruto, you have made the fourth correct choice. It is time you find out our unbreakable link to each other, and they, just as with your burden, have enough right to know as well."

Temari got off him and both she and Sasuke stood up, Naruto finally standing before them a few seconds later.

"What decisions are you talking about, Aisha-sensei?" he asked.

"You have proven to me that you are indeed ready to know how you and I are linked. It's not just the bond we share as containers of demons," she said, Sasuke and Temari both looking on with widened eyes. She opened the scroll she held and let the page show a family tree, names that Naruto didn't know for the most part, except for four.

"Naruto, as you are aware, your parents are Uzumaki Kushina of Whirlpool and Namikaze of Leaf. What you don't know is that your mother had a brother who had married and his wife bore a daughter. I am that girl," she said, pointing to her name on the scroll. "That is to say, Naruto-kun, I am your cousin from your mother's side."

Naruto looked at her blankly, his mind trying to process this news. Only his wildest of wild dreams had done this to him, having found anyone that was a blood relation. It was just that, of _all_ his hopes, this one was the absolute _last_ one he ever expected to come true. He expected to become Hokage before finding anyone he could call family by blood.

Sasuke waved his hand in front of Naruto's face, trying to break him out of his daze. "Dude, you even there still?"

"Let's see if I can snap him out of it," Temari said a dirty smirk crossing her face. "If you're a prude or just shy, don't look, things are gonna get a little inappropriate in a second."

Before Sasuke and Aisha could object, Temari stepped up to his right side, leaned in close to his ear while her right hand slid down his stomach. She gave a small purr as she nuzzled his ear and tugged lightly on the lobe as her hand wandered below his belt line and began rubbing his cock through his pants. As soon as she stuck the tiniest tip of her tongue into his ear canal, Naruto threw his arms in the air and knocked her over onto the ground.

"I'VE GOT FAMILY!!!"

[---]

"Hey guys!"

"Hey Aya-chan!" Naruto called, poking his head into the living room from the hallway. "Is your dad home yet?"

"No, he had to stop on the way home for groceries," she said as she stood up from his chair. "How'd your first day go?"

"It went very well, considering he got to pretty much skip the entire day," Sasuke said as he slipped his sandals off.

"Oh, you didn't tell me you brought your teammates over Naruto-kun," Ayame said surprised, seeing Temari lean her fan against the wall behind the doorway. When the blonde kunoichi turned around, she noticed the sparkling object hanging from her neck and turned her narrowing gaze on Naruto. "You better have a good reason as to why she's got a new necklace Naruto-_kun_…"

The older blonde smiled widely as he shooed her down the hall to her room. "Don't worry, I've got everything under control! You guys just take a seat in the living room while we're busy!" he called over his shoulder as he pushes the brunette through the door and closes it behind him.

She stepped to the middle of her room and turned on her heel, eyes almost slits as she attempted to burn holes into his head. "Now tell me, why is your _second_ girlfriend wearing a new shiny-shiny before your _first_ girlfriend isn't?"

"Well," he said as he reached into a pocket, making sure he still had the box rather than having sealed it away, "you _technically_ got something before she even became my girlfriend when you obsconded my old jacket."

"That doesn't count!" she stomped her foot for effect.

"I know, I know. That's why," he said as he pulled out the box, "I got you something as well. Now close your eyes."

"This better be good Ruto-kun…" she said with a huff, her lids closing slowly.

Making sure she couldn't see, he pulled her necklace out of the box and moved silently behind her. Carefully slipping the clasp in front, he fastened it and held the stone in one hand as he moved it to the front. "Don't open 'em up yet…" he said as he grabbed the hand mirror off her dresser. He moved back to be in front of her and lined up the mirror, finally kissing her on the lips briefly.

\Her eyes shot open and instantly focused on the mirror, seeing the tiger-s eye topaz glistening in the overhead light. Her eyes widened and sparkled as she saw the golden highlights in the stone's natural grain reflect the light.

Outside in the living room, Sasuke and Temari sat on the couch as Aisha took the chair she had bought not long after moving in. They were idly chatting until-

"OH NARUTO-KUN!" _Thump!_

"Sounds like she loves her new jewelry," Temari said with a big smile, absentmindedly fingering her sapphire.

Back in Ayame's room, Naruto found himself being the target of yet another tackle-glomp as Ayame had literally pounced on him. She was now fully engaging his mouth with her own as she pinned his arms above his head, her body trapping him under her.

She moaned into the kiss as she started to rub against his body, feeling his arousal starting to spring to life. "Mmmm, seems like someone's enjoying his thank you…"

"We should wait…" Naruto breathed out, finally able to take in air that wasn't coming from his ramen-goddess's mouth. "…At least until we don't have company spending the night anyways…"

Ayame stood up and straightened out her skirt, fluffing out the small wrinkles. "So are they both staying then?"

"Yeah, Sasuke's gonna chill on my couch and I was hoping that Mari-chan could stay in here with you," he replied, getting up and using the discarded mirror to check for lipstick.

"I guess, but it'll be hard since I don't have a lot of extra space in here…" she said. "Maybe I could get Aisha to let us use her room tonight."

He put the mirror back where it usually was. "Let's ask before your dad gets home then. Better to have things settled before he needs help cooking dinner," he said as he opened the door.

Ayame caught up to him and pinched his ass just as he was in the archway to the living room. She scampered past him before he could retaliate and took her own chair as Naruto gave her a mischievous look.

"So are we staying tonight Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah. You got the couch in my room," He looked at Aisha and then at Ayame.

Ayame perked up and looked at the mercenary when she got the hint. "Oh, Aisha? I have a small favor to ask of you…"

"What is it, Ayame?"

"Well… my room isn't very large, and I don't have as much furniture as Naruto does, so I was hoping that Temari and I could use some of the free space in your room for tonight. If that's okay with you, that is."

"Of course!" Aisha said with a smile. "After all, if the two of you are going to one day settle him down, it's best that I get to know the women who my dear cousin is going to have bearing his children first!" she said with a dark grin.

"Cou-cousins?!" the brunette stammered, her jaw just about dislocating.

"I'll explain completely over dinner, but yes, Naruto is my cousin."

"I still find it odd that we got away with being put on a team together though," Naruto said. "Did the old man know about this at all?"

"He did last night during the jonin meeting, after graduation," Aisha responded as she adjusted her wrist bandages. "But it's all finalized now, so the council can just kiss my Spreygan ass if they think they can get in the way of our family now."

Sasuke looked at everyone else in the room and then focused on Naruto. "Hey dude, you've got a bolt on your door right?"

"Yeah, one of those old-style ones that sits in a rack on either side of the frame and is like half a foot thick. Why?" the blonde asked.

"I just don't want to wake up in the middle of the night to hearing you and your two girlfriends bumping and grinding."

Naruto burst out laughing as the two girls blushed a deep red. Aisha shook her head and sighed as her cousin finally calmed down after a few moments.

"So we get weekends off right?" Naruto asked, wiping a tear from his cheek.

"Yes, as long as you are officially ranked as a genin, you aren't actually allowed to work on the weekend, except in the case of the chunin exams, extended out-of-village missions, or other qualified exceptions to normal duty." Aisha slipped the piece of paper back in her obi that had the entire outline of standard ninja regulations on it. "Fuck, it's going to take forever to memeorize these regulations…"

Naruto took out his wallet, quickly peeking inside. "I say we go shopping; Sasuke and Mari-chan need new threads to reflect their new occupation."

"What's wrong with my clothes, Dobe?" Sasuke asked, looking at the older blonde carefully.

"Don't you like my outfit, Naruto-kun?" Temari asked, a tick mark appearing over her head.

"I didn't mean it like that you guys!" Naruto said, immediately flailing his arms in front of himself defensively. "It's just that the spice in life is variety, right? Then you guys should invest in jazzing up your look, to reflect your desire to be strong!"

Both of his teammates looked at him with doom in their eyes.

A smirk covered his face as an idea popped into his head. "Or _do_ you two want to end up wearing those gay-looking blue jumpsuits the rest of your active shinobi careers?" he asked with a sneer.

Both gazes of doom instantly fizzled into horrified expressions. The two shook their heads vehemently.

"Alright, then we spend our first day off as shinobi getting you guys some new clothes." He looked at Ayame. "Wanna tag along? Maybe Teuchi could help me find Sasuke some new threads and you and Aisha-sensei work with Mari-chan."

"Sure, why not?" the brunette said with a smile. "Speaking of my dad, he should be getting-"

'Hey guys, I've got groceries!" Teuchi called from the front door. He was suddenly bombarded with hands as a trio of Naruto's shadow clones dashed in and grabbed the bags then vanished into the kitchen as they began putting the food away. He sweatdropped as he lifted a finger. "N-not all of that stuff is…"

Suddenly, a clone ran to the living room with one of the smaller bags and handed it to Ayame and ran back to the kitchen.

"Thanks for getting that for me Dad!" Ayame said as she ran to her room and put the bag away.

The ramen chef laughed as he entered the room. "I see we have company tonight! It's good to see you again, Temari." He looked at Sasuke, "And greetings to you as well Sasuke. I hope you enjoy your time with us."

"Speaking of which…" Naruto said. "Is it okay if they chill here for the night? We plan to go shopping for them tomorrow."

The man looked at the two and smiled. "No problem at all."

"Don't worry, Temari and Ayame are having a girls-night with Aisha-sensei while Sasuke and I chill in my room" Naruto said. "Oh yeah, you wanna help me find stuff for Sasuke tomorrow? You'll have to leave the stand closed."

"No, I've found that sales tend to increase the first weekend after the end of the academic year a large amount," Teuchi responded. "Sorry Sasuke, but it'll just be the two of you to go shopping."

Sasuke waved his hand dismissively. "It's cool, thanks for letting me stay the night though."

"Groceries are put away," Naruto said a split second after a loud poofing of his shadow clones came from the kitchen.

Ayame came back in the room with her apron on and a ladle in her hand. "Who's gonna help me cook tonight?"

Two more clones appeared and raised their hands. "God I love this jutsu!" Naruto crowed.

"Talk about an abuse of a jutsu…" Aisha mumbled with her hand over her eyes.

"Shit Naruto, if you could make them truly solid, you really could become a damned one-man army…" Sasuke said in mock disgust.

"I could make my own village!"

Naruto was promptly smacked so hard by a ladle that his chair fell to the floor backwards, everyone bursting out in laughter. Even the two clones behind Ayame were laughing at their creator.

"That one was _still_ worth it!" he exclaimed, his hand shooting up from the floor.

[---]

"See you two in the morning!" Aisha said as she moved down her own stairway.

Sasuke stepped into Naruto's room, waving back at the girls. "See you three later."

Temari and Ayame kissed Naruto on the face, Temari the left and Ayame the right as he gave them both large hugs and a kiss each on the cheek. "Have fun, and don't let Aisha threaten you two too much; just remember, she's just now getting to start her life as a cousin."

"Yes, Naruto-kun!" they replied simultaneously and quickly dashed away after pinching his ass. They both laughed as they disappeared around the bend to Aisha's room and closed her door firmly, a bolt sliding behind it.

"Gah, that's starting to hurt a little…" Naruto complained, rubbing his ass cheek with one hand as he closed and bolted his own door.

"Just means you have to get used to it, or buy some metal boxers," Sasuke said as he plopped on the couch. "So how do you pass the time down here?"

Naruto flopped down on the bed and tapped a section of wall, chakra flowing from his finger and into a seal the glowed and faded, revealing a set of drawers embedded in the wall. "You're really straight right? Because I don't have any of that gay porn that douchebag Orochimaru made."

"Just because none of the girls in class were worth my time doesn't mean I decided to start turning my ass into a two-way door," Sasuke growled, trying to get a better look at the labels on the drawers. "Whatcha got hidden anyways?"

"You name it, I've probably snatched it from that pervert Kakashi," Naruto said. "What's your preference? Lesbian, schoolgirl, maid…?"

Sasuke felt a shiver run down his spine. "Got any… nurse material there?"

The blonde pulled out a list and looked it over. "Now, you want lesbian nurse, nurse rape, nurse gangbang, nurse creampie, nurse double penetration…?"

"…" Sasuke looked down.

"Come on dude, I would rather hand you something you'd be sure to enjoy rather than just pull out the entire selection."

"…I'll take some nurse… rape…" Sasuke said, his head hanging low with his bangs covering his face.

"No need to be ashamed dude!" Naruto said, pulling out a drawer and then a stack of magazines. "Now, any particular combination of skin tone and hair color, or just a surprise?

"Pale skin with either red or… green hair?" he asked, a large red streak covering his face, barely noticeable with the angle his face was at.

"You're in luck!" Naruto said as he thumbed through the stack and found exactly what Sasuke wanted. "Fresh from the newsstand, jacked last month from Kakashi's supply pouch before he got cracked down upon last night."

Sasuke took the book and looked at the cover. '_Shit, reminds me of that dream a few days ago…_' "So what's your preference?" he asked idly as he opened up.

"My absolute favorite are redheads, any skin tone. But category-wise, I'd have to say catgirls," blonde responded as he pulled out a well-read book from a small drawer.

Sasuke looked at him, shock on his face. "You? Into _catgirls_?" he asked in disbelief.

"What's so surprising? I've got a fucking animal demon in my gut!" Naruto responded, scooting over and turning on his headboard lamp. He made himself comfortable with his back on his pillow as he continued: "Besides, could you imagine a chick being as flexible and doing the same things like a cat?"

Sasuke pondered the thought causing him to break eye contact with the book in his hands. His mind created a picture of a pale-skinned woman with turquoise hair in a skimpy and revealing catgirl outfit, ears and tail to boot, stretching out like a cat and then lifting her hind leg, bending down and starting to-

"Got any catgirl with pale-skin and turquoise hair?" he blurted out, carefully closing the book he had.

"Yeah, right side, third drawer from the top; I think it's gonna be in the back of the drawer, two books down from the top of the stack," Naruto replied, crossing his left leg over his right knee before Sasuke reached his bed. "Looks like I've recruited another one to the cause…"

"Cause? What are you going on about now?" the former emo-lord asked as he opened the specified drawer. Quickly going to the back, he lifted up the two books and BAM! A catgirl with pale skin and turquoise hair, and oh she was not alone!

There, on the cover of the book under the first catgirl was another one with dark skin and platinum hair, tugging on the first catgirl's ear as her left 'front-paw' was 'kneeding' her breast. "Oh my fucking…"

"I thought you'd like that one; I actually got the entire catgirl selection by use of my 'disguises' using my own cash. Moron shopkeeper never expected a 'girl in her late teens that was looking to explore other _options_' was really the fucking container of the Kyuubi at age eleven."

Sasuke shut the drawer softly before bolting back to the couch. "Dude, you _have_ to show me where I can get my own copies…" he said as he started reading.

"Don't worry, we can take care of that during our journey to the best shops tomorrow."

[---]

"So what's first on the agenda?" Aisha asked as she prepped two mats on the floor next to her own bed, in the sunken part of her quarters.

"Well there's a good chance that Naruto-kun's introduced Sasuke to his collection…" Ayame said as she sat on the partition.

Temari raised an eyebrow. "What kind of collection? The kind you get that start's from a gift someone gave you for your birthday, or the kind that starts by swiping from a bookstore?"

"Started out as the former, then degenerated to the latter," the brunette admitted. "A couple days after his eleventh birthday, a package arrived for Naruto, no idea who from. He opened it at the dinner table, and my dad almost burst into tears he was laughing so hard. Turns out it was the entire first series of that _Icha Icha_ book, with the author's _signature_ on the cover of each one even."

"So my little baby cousin Naruto is a pervert huh?" Aisha said, sitting down in her personal chair. "Kind of figured. Everyone that my mom met from Dad's family had _some_ form of perversion. Dad's just so happened to be darker-skinned women."

Temari took a seat on a large cushion as she looked at the woman. "I don't see much resemblance between the two of you. Are you sure of this whole thing?"

"Yeah. As sure as the tattoo on my stomach shows it." The mercenary gave them a sly grin. "You two wanna see the birth-right mark that Naruto needs to get?"

"What are you talking about?" Ayame asked, readjusting to face the older girl.

"I'll show you what I'm talking about."

Aisha stood up and undid her obi, setting it on the back of her chair. Sliding her black kimono off and placing it on the arm, she stood there, in her black panties with the bandaging covering her abdomen and breasts.

"This is the mark given to those born with the birth-right to lead the people of Whirlpool," she said, reaching up and taking the visible end of the bandages. "Though my dad wasn't first in line to the position, I was first born in my generation so I was given the mark. But now that I've found my aunt finally had a child..." By now, her hands were already unwinding the material after having uncovered her breasts, the crisp air causing her nipples to harden. "Gah, that's one of the things I hate about a sub-level room: the temperature's always too cold!"

Temari laughed as she fell back, Ayame giggling.

"Here we go," she said, undoing the last round of bandage. "This," pointing to the large whirlpool symbol on her abdomen, "is the symbol of our homeland, the fallen Hidden Village of Whirlpool. Home to both master swordsmen and master blacksmiths, as well as a strong shinobi force."

"Is it… _moving_?" Temari asked, squinting at the tattoo.

Ayame peered over to look at it from that angle. "Is it?"

"Yep, it actually does rotate a little bit. Takes about two or three days to make a full rotation." She looked down, and then at both girls. "Alright you two, your turns."

Both girls looked at her with wide eyes.

"Hey, I'm not going to be the only one standing in her panties revealing a bodily mark," she responded with a grin. "Now, either you two can cooperate and do it yourselves, or we can do this the hard way…"

Temari huffed and stood up. "Fine, I don't want to get ruffed up down here anyway. " She crossed her arms and grabbed the bottom of her top, lifting up and over her head and letting her breasts jiggle slightly as she brought her arms back down and dropped her shirt next to the cushion. "See the line starting here," pointing to her right shoulder, moving it down to her cleavage-cleft, "to here? That was from some moron trying to kill my little brother Gaara when he was only three."

"C'mon, off with the skirt missy," the woman stated. "And the mesh suit too; no fair in cheating on a technicality."

Temari promptly stuck her tongue out as she unbuttoned the clasp to her skirt. The clothing fell to the ground as Ayame giggled, seeing another mark through the mesh on Temari's right hip.

"What's the story behind that one?" the brunette asked.

"This one…" the blonde trailed off, her right hand trailing over the circular mark. "It was something of a 'farewell' gift from my last boyfriend, when he tried to stop me from being sent here as emissary."

"If that's how he tries to keep you from going, I'd hate to see how he treats you if he ever sees you again…" Ayame remarked.

"Well, looks like I won't be taking us on any missions that deliver us to Suna then…"

"Why? I don't see a problem with running a mission to see the Kazekage," Temari responded, slipping the mesh suit off her body, leaving her in just a pair of robin's egg blue panties.

"Oh but there would be," Aisha said, finger wagging. "If we, as a squad of ninja from an allied village, come into Suna, run into this 'old boyfriend' of yours, he recognizes you, he will most likely try and get you to come back, by force if all else fails."

"So?" Temari asked, left hand on left hip as her right arm hung at her side.

"Naruto-kun, stupid!" Ayame said, pointing towards the door. "If anyone comes at you like what happened in October outside of a mission, he won't be 'professional' about it!"

Aisha nodded her head. "She's right, Temari. That's one trait in the Uzumaki clan you may grow to dislike. We tend to… basically go apeshit on anyone that endangers the life - or in Naruto's case lives – of our life-mate."

"So wait... you mean… He had already planned to marry me before the courtyard incident?" Temari asked, a full-body flush covering her visible skin.

"It's not that easy. We don't consciously select our spouses. It's sort of… carnal, animalistic how it happens really. Once we meet a person, we process that person's smell." Aisha rubbed her nose and looked at Ayame. "It's an uncontrollable trait, and most of the time we only find one. Last time a member of the clan smelled more than a single was Great-Grandmother Sayomi."

"Don't tell me she had so many husbands that she ended up having a litter…"

"No, just that when she had children they were unable to tell which of the two was the father." Aisha then turned to Ayame. "Alright girly, you're last one. Drop 'em and show it off."

Ayame said nothing as she slipped the shoulders of her shirt down and off her arms, the elastic in the collar stretching and releasing as she lowered it to unveil her own growing breasts unhindered by a bra. Latching both the shirt and her skirt with her thumbs, both garments landed on the ground a moment later, leaving the brunette in her own pink panties, a frilly white bow on the center in front.

"No fair, you're a civilian!" Temari pouted as Ayame twirled in place, no marks or mark of any kind on her skin.

"You would think I'm a civilian, but I've actually got the skills to have become a genin my first time around," the brunette said. "I just didn't try hard enough to actually pass the exam, instead determined of helping Naruto-kun prepare for the next year's exams."

"So which side is your talent from?" Aisha said as she sat down.

"My mother's parents were both active-duty shinobi during the last few years of the Nidaime and the first fifteen of the Sandaime Hokage. Then, when my parents met, her parents went on a recon mission to investigate something but didn't return alive." Ayame looked up, remembering the stories her father could remember from the short time he knew her mother's parents.

"Anyways, now that you've gotten us out of our clothes, you're not planning to do anything naughty are you?" Temari asked as she sat back down on her cushion.

"Nope, but the two of you are going to have to get used to be in close proximity to each other nude one day," Aisha said as she crossed her legs at her ankles, leaning back. "After all, I honestly don't think my dear cousin is going to be able to choose which one of you he loses his virginity to…"

"So you're saying…" Ayame started.

"…That we're going to have a threesome?" Temari finished. Both girls looked at each other with vast blushes running from their faces almost all the way down to their panties.

"At the very least, if he doesn't find any more women." Aisha smirked as she looked at her nails. "If I were you, I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to find a girl that resembles his mother in some way."

"What do you mean by that?" both girls asked.

"Simple: men and women subconsciously search for mates based on two things. Pheromones and chemistry. I've already explained how we Uzumaki typically find our life-mates by scent first, but your regular person will go and find someone that is different enough from them but somehow presents a representation of their opposite-sex parent. In this case, Naruto will still be on the look-out for a redhead, with something of a bad temper."

"Please tell me you're kidding…" Ayame said, slumping against the partial wall to the floor on top of her clothes.

"I think it would kind of kinky, having a blonde, brunette and redhead…" Temari said, a perverted grin inkling appearing on her face.

"Anyway, that's enough of that for now," Aisha said as she leaned forward. "There's plenty of time for the three of you and whoever else Naruto finds to go over this stuff together. Besides, just like every other man in the family, he won't take part in sex before his wedding night."

"Awww…" both girls cried out in unison.

"No worries though; that doesn't mean he won't engage in _oral_ sex…"

Both Ayame and Temari shivered as they felt the chill with a burning passion growing in their crotches.

The eldest of them looked over at Temari and then looked at her clothes. "So, any idea of what you might want tomorrow?"

"I was thinking of something like…"

[---]

"See you guys this afternoon, at the ramen stand okay?"

"Alright Aya-chan. Make sure Mari-chan doesn't get overwhelmed or go overboard!" Naruto called back. He and Sasuke headed towards the other end of the village as his two girlfriends and Aisha started walking the opposite direction.

"You just remember not to start any riots Naruto-kun!" Temari called out.

"Don't worry, he won't!" Sasuke shot back over his shoulder, the two boys disappearing after jumping onto the nearest roof.

"Thousand yen says Naruto got Sasuke addicted to porn last night," Temari said as she faced the other two.

"Fifteen hundred says nurse is what gets Sasuke's worm wrigglin'," Aisha said. She readjusted the special hitai-ite siting on her neck, having opted to for once go without her normal attire in favor of a grey sleeveless shirt and black Capri-style shinobi pants, her bandages and sandals still part of the outfit.

"Twenty says he got into maid bondage," Ayame said, locking the front door and placing her keys in the pouch hanging from her belt. "What's your guess on what Sasuke's into Mari-chan?"

"_Mari-chan_?" Temari asked, fiddling with her two smaller fans, her battle-fan still in Aisha's room. "Does that mean I get to call you Aya-chan now that we've using pet names for each other already?"

"Just remember to call Naruto 'Ruto-kun'," Ayame smiled back.

"Okay you two, let's go. We have a couple of other stores to hit after getting Temari that outfit," Aisha called over her shoulder.

"We're coming!" Temari said, firmly grasping Ayame by the arm and dragging her along as she caught up with their companion. "Good thing I've been getting cash every month for being the emissary from Suna; I don't think I'd be able to enjoy myself here if I was flat broke!"

The other two girls laughed as she twirled a fan with her right hand. "You must have a hefty sum saved up if you're this happy, judging by the fact that you don't seem to have anything but several changes of the same outfit along with a couple formal and extra-formal outfits."

"Oh hell yeah."

[---]

"So how are we going to get those books?"

"Simple: you're going to first learn and master my 'sexy jutsu'," Naruto said as he reached into his vest. "First step: select the inspiration for your own version. Here, skim through it, pick a character and show me," he went on as he threw Sasuke the book.

Sasuke looked at the cover and almost burst into a fountain-like nosebleed. It was the book he'd been reading the night before in Naruto's room. He promptly flipped through and stopped, holding it open to a page two-thirds of the way in. "Here, on page two-thirty six, middle-right cel on the bottom. Kiyone."

"Ahhh, good choice!" Naruto said. He took the book back and put it in his vest once more. "Now secondly, watch and see what Kiyone would look like in person." One set of hand signs and one poof of smoke later, and Sasuke was yet again trying to prevent another massive nosebleed.

In Naruto's place sat a girl, no a _cat_girl, with light lavender hair running around everywhere in curls, her matching fur 'bikini' covering only the barest of streaks across her breasts and over her nipples as a thong-shaped batch of fur covered her crotch. Her ears perked at every little sound, the color catching the sunlight just so lightly.

"Beautiful parrrt of this jutsu of mine is," 'Kiyone' said, licking her paw, "is that when you purrrfect it, you sound exactly like the purrrson you replicate."

"God, I'm fucked up," Sasuke mumbled to himself.

"Now get one last good look beforrre I release the jutsu."

The last great emo-king of the Uchiha looked over 'Kiyone' and nodded. "Alright, go."

Another poof of smoke and there stood a smirking Naruto. "Man, whoever you end up with, I've _got_ to tell this story to them! I'm gonna make it so you won't be able to sleep for a fucking WEEK after you get married!"

"If it were anything else, I'd be pissed. But I'd actually enjoy that so much I wouldn't mind…" Sasuke grunted. "Okay _sensei_, now what do I do?"

Naruto calmed down and ticked off mental notes using his fingers before moving on. "Okay, you now have to take the mental picture you took, study it, and make minute differences. For one, you have to make sure that you get rid of Kiyone's ears and replace them with normal ones. Next, alter her hairstyle a bit, both the cut and the color, as well as the length."

"What about her figure?"

"That too, but that's not as important the first few times you work the jutsu and find your groove with it. But you do need to make sure you give her proper clothes for the situation," Naruto said, sitting down cross-legged.

"What style would you suggest?" Sasuke asked curiously, sittind on his knees.

"For this situation, I'd suggest something along the lines of a pair of short-shorts, those weird civilian sandals that Sakura wore that first day of class, the kind with that piece of leather running over the four toes, connected to the sandal sole between the big and pointer toes and then over the big toe to the other side and the straps up the back and around the ankle. For a shirt… copy the kind that Mari-chan wears still. Keep in mind you need some form of color coordination or else it'll come off as strange."

"Right, because girls are fashion-savvy and can match up their clothes to their personal colors…" Sasuke said to himself.

"Most importantly of all, don't get frustrated if you don't get this on the first try." Naruto looked down from their vantage point on the roof at the street below. "It seems the crowds are clearing out for the late morning stall. You've got about an hour to work the jutsu over before we can safely mingle in with the next push of shoppers so that if anything goes wrong we can disappear like shadows at night."

"But not even the darkest shadow can fully hide at night, when the moon is out in its peak Naruto…" came a voice from behind them.

"Hello, 'Wolf'…" Naruto said offhandedly. "How goes the day-to-day life of ANBU?"

"Oh, so-so," came a reply. "And don't be so formal, I've been put on temporary unpaid leave."

"Alright Kakashi," Naruto said, looking back. "What happened that the old man told you to take a week off? Reading porn in front of him again?"

"No, actually it had to do with your teammate…" Kakashi said as he sat down across from the two boys. "I merely requested that I be Sasuke's jonin sensei, but even the council denied my reasoning."

"Let me guess," Sasuke started. "They gave you the reason that if that happened, the village would be destroyed as a result of the clans leaving due to me getting pampered?"

"Yep."

"Oh well; it is for the best anyways." Sasuke started going over the hand signs he'd seen Naruto use when he turned into the catgirl, meanwhile running through all the suggestions and recommendations Naruto made for his own disguise.

"You know Sasuke, you need to learn to activate and properly use your Sharingan soon…" Kakashi said offhandedly.

Naruto answered for his teammate, noting Sasuke's concentration on doing the correct sequence of signs. "Honestly? He needs to work on the Sharingan about as much as you need to work on ignoring people when they're talking to you."

"Naruto, you don't realize how important Sasuke is to the village, do you?" Kakashi looked at him with distaste in his visible eye. "You understand that he is the last Uchiha, the last person in this village, carrying the gene for the Sharingan? That bloodline is the most powerful in the history of the Elemental Nations, and has made Konoha one of the most feared villages. The safety of our village depends on having that kekkei genkai, above all others, active and strong in our village."

"And you realize that Sasuke, of all shinobi from that almost extinct clan, is the only one who hasn't developed a fucking 'god' complex?" Naruto said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The Uchiha, as noted by several researchers, are closely related to the Hyuuga, and it's been all but proven that the Sharingan is the decrepit cousin of the Byakugan. Sure, the Sharingan is capable of analyzing and copying a person's jutsu, predicting movements, but that's all the Sharingan is capable of. In fact, I bet that you couldn't win a fair fight against the Hyuuga clan head, Hiashi."

The air around the three ninja suddenly turned deathly cold.

"What… did you just say?" Kakashi said with a trembling hand.

Naruto folded his arms over his chest and looked sternly at him. "You damn well heard me right. Five simple words." He held up his hand and counted off his fingers: "You. Couldn't. Beat. Hiashi. Fairly."

The one-eyed ninja would be looking at a corpse right then and then if looks alone could kill. "I dare you to say that again, Naruto…"

"Fuck, I thought you had vision problems but now it seems like you need to get your damned ears checked too!" Naruto exclaimed. "I said that Hiashi would use your carcass to clean his clan's compound with after smearing you across the Hokage Monument!"

That was when Kakashi snapped. If Naruto hadn't been anticipating the Copycat Ninja having such a short temper, he wouldn't have rolled onto his back and kick him in the gut when Kakashi lunged at him with a kunai. The amount of force that Naruto pushed into the kick tossed the jonin high into the air and over the street, but not causing enough pain to cause him to misstep the landing.

"Assaulting a fellow shinobi of this village is a crime punishable by exile Uzumaki!" Kakashi shouted from his place across the street.

"Then you're only telling yourself! You came after me first, I was merely defending myself!" Naruto called back. He pointed at Sasuke, who was mimicking the hand signs still but intently focusing his eyes on the growing conflict. "And Sasuke is my witness!"

"Who would the village council believe, a seasoned jonin with the village's only Sharingan active and sole surviving student of the Yondaime Hokage, or the village's whipping boy who doesn't have a claim to his own name and renowned for his being the reincarnation of the Kyuubi?" Kakashi said, his voice just barely clear enough for Naruto to hear.

Granted, that was _all_ he needed to hear.

The blonde immediately stood up straight and withdrew the scroll Sarutobi had given him with his occupational duties, responsibilities and privileges both as a standard and tokubetsu ninja of Konoha and unrolled it. "Hatake Kakashi, under article eight, section zeta within the guidelines of maintaining vital village secrets, you are hereby under arrest for treason!" Naruto called out, his finger pointing to the specified document.

"Just because you know the law doesn't give you-"

"In accordance with subsection thirteen of article three, section delta, anyone granted the prefix of 'tokubetsu' before their formal rank within the military forces of this village are thereby tasked with the execution of upholding any and all laws within the borders of Konohagakure," Naruto interjected, pointing at an earlier section of the his fingers in the crossed position, he looked the gray-haired jonin in the eye. "To dispute my authority is to dispute the will of both your Hokage as well as the will of your council. Such disputes are categorized as 'insubordination', and can lead up to additional treason charges if the accused is belligerent in their activities."

'_Holy shit… He really knows his standing here…_' Sasuke thought to himself, secretly preparing something.

'_There's no way he thinks he can take me on. He's bluffing, he has to be; Naruto can't be anywhere near as strong as he made us think he was back at graduation…_' Kakashi remarked mentally. "Naruto, don't think you're going to be able to handle me all on your own. I'm not a jonin for nothing."

"Further resistance is not going to be tolerated! Either stand down or be prepared to be taken into custody!" Naruto warned. His right eye started to flicker from blue to a slightly tinged purple.

Kakashi put his hands into the same sign as Naruto, his single eye never breaking contact with Naruto. "You aren't the only one capable of the shadow clone jutsu, Uzumaki. As a jonin, I learned that days after my promotion, and mastered it within a week."

"You may have been eighteen at the time and only needed a week, but I'm fourteen and took just _one attempt_ to master it! Now either stand down or hope you have enough in your savings to post bail! This is your last warning, Hatake!"

The Copycat Ninja focused his chakra through the handsign and suddenly appeared ten more of him. "I'm calling your bluff."

Sasuke promptly jumped away from his teammate and to the next roof over as he sensed the surge of chakra flowing around him.

"Sasuke, go get Aisha-sensei!" Naruto called out, pouring chakra through his own hand sign. "I'm going to need her here if I'm going to prevent this from escalating beyond the no-return mark."

Sasuke merely nodded as twenty Naruto clones appeared behind the original.

The lone Uchiha disappeared in a flash as he went in search of their sensei, Naruto now facing off against Kakashi. At the sight of Naruto kicking Kakashi over the street, the majority of civilians who had been visible were now taking shelter in the safety of the shops.

"Naruto, you may have the stamina of a jonin-"

"High-ranking ANBU now, but now's not the time for correcting someone else's mistakes."

"-But don't think you have the skills and experience to defeat me!" Kakashi called out, sending half his clones at the blonde.

"And you should remember one thing!" Naruto said. "Don't ever underestimate your opposition!"

As soon as the Kakashi clones touched down on the roof, they were all instantly bombarded by half of Naruto's own clones, having been launched by the remaining clones.

'**Ooooh shnooky-bear, pull out the weapons my regent sent you! This would be the **_**perfect**_** time to learn to use them!**' Daki's voice came, penetrating his mind like a knife through butter.

Not thinking twice, he reached inside and pulled his supplies scroll out. Activating the seal, a moment later and there sat the fist weapons he'd received in the chest Etna had delivered. He barely dodged a kunai that the real Kakashi had aimed for him as he bent down, tying the straps to his hands.

'**Nice thing about these darling little weapons is that they can pierce right through any illusion! When you activate the switch with a sprinkling of your energy and the finger-plating emerges, any illusion you find will dispel almost on contact! Note that the stronger an illusion it is, the longer it will take the gauntlets to dispel it, but you shouldn't run into too much of a problem with some silly little clones.**' Daki's growing anticipation was seeping into his mind now, causing him to see things a tad differently than normal. He realized it, but he knew that they both needed to find a balance, and seeing how different events caused her presence to ebb and flow was necessary. He'd talk with her and Aisha about it later, but right now he needed to settle the situation at hand.

"Awakening: Fox-Fists!" Naruto called out, pouring chakra into the seals on the straps.

Kakashi lowered his posture as the remaining five clones moved to shield him. '_What's he doing? I've never seen anything like this before…_'

The designs on the back of the plates shimmered as a strange glow covered Naruto's fingers, fading into metal plating the same as the plating. He flexed his fingers, surprised to find the finger casings had almost no resistance to his manual dexterity and thusly giving him the ease of use to cast jutsu with them on.

"Uzuamki, Hatake, stand down!" came a raspy voice. Naruto eased his posture as he faced the owner, Kakashi merely looking at the old man. There in the middle of the street down a ways stood Sarutobi in full Hokage robes, a squad of ANBU behind him as Aisha stood next to him. "Both of you, front and center!" he stated with his commanding tone.

"Yes Lord Hokage." Naruto immediately dispelled his clones and took his position in front of the old man.

Kakashi soon followed a lazy moment later, his clones disappearing in a poof as they hit the ground.

"Both of you better have a damned good reason for creating an incident of this magnitude in public view…" Sarutobi said, his frustration plain as day as evidenced by the lack of his omnipresent pipe.

"May I speak first, Lord Hokage?" Naruto inquired. He noticed the small nod and let out a deep breath. The tokubetsu genin described in detail the confrontation from start to interruption, Sarutobi silencing Kakashi at every attempt to interject. "If need be, Sasuke was witness up until I sent him to get our sensei."

""Naruto, you and your squad are dismissed. I shall call you into my office on Monday for further discussion concerning this matter." Sarutobi then shifted his attention to Kakashi. "As for you Kakashi, I'm forced to have youu confined to ANBU barracks until the meeting on Monday before the council. Dismissed."

The squad behind the Hokage surrounded Kakashi, each one placing a hand on him. The six shinobi all disappeared at once, having flickered out of sight and out of mind. Sarutobi sighed as he pulled out his pipe and rubbed his temples.

"Fuck, I hate confrontations with coworkers…" Naruto muttered as he resealed his gauntlets into their scroll page. "I really wish he'd just leave us the fuck alone…"

"So you weren't looking to fight him?" the Sandaime asked.

"Fuck no; I was seriously just trying to help Sasuke learn my own jutsu so we could get on with today's work!" Naruto said.

"You don't mean…" the old man started.

Naruto grinned widely as he turned to face his teammate. "Go for it if you think you can!"

Sasuke merely nodded and concentrated as he performed the hand signs, whispering something inaudibly. A cloud of smoke later, and in his place stood a woman with lavender hair in light curls to her bare tan shoulders, her sunflower yellow top and short-shorts complimenting her modern sandals and brought a vibrant appeal to her generous curves.

"Success!" Naruto screamed, throwing his arms in the air. "You, my good man, have just mastered the sexy jutsu!"

Aisha shook her head while Sarutobi covered his nose, Sasuke reappearing from another cloud of smoke.

"I probably should have toned down her curves though, don't you think?" he asked, scratching his chin. "Plus… I think I should alter the hair more."

"Don't worry about fine-tuning it for the time being, leave that to your practice later."

"We-well Naruto, like I was saying," interrupted the Hokage, "due to today's skirmish, your team will need to make an incident report before the council. Until then, do not discuss this with anyone not directly involved, and do not talk to each other. Witnesses discussing an event will often times intermingle their stories because no two people can give the same story down to the exact detail, and having as different view points as possible is a key piece to accurately deciding the truth of the matter." And without another word, their supreme leader also made his exit via body-flicker.

Aisha stepped up to Naruto, sighed as he looked around, and promptly bopped him on the head. "Naruto, sometimes you just remind me of the stories my momma told me about Dad…"

"I'd explain the situation but like Sarutobi just said we aren't allowed to," Naruto protested, rubbing the growing lump on his noggin. "And unless Sasuke spilled the beans when he found you, don't tell Aya-chan and Mari-chan about the whole thing, okay?"

"Just answer one thing for me," she said. Sasuke looked worryingly around as Aisha walked up to him and put her arm around his shoulder. "Why were you teaching our dear Sasuke _that_ jutsu?"

Naruto looked up and down the street, seeing not even any opened shop shutters from the near-blowout. Cautiously, he slid the book inside his vest out just enough for her to see it and slipped it back in place as he nodded over to the bookstore to his left.

"Ahhh, getting him his own supply so he doesn't ruin yours." She nodded her head. "Alright then, I'll leave the two of you to your 'shopping'. Just make sure that Sasuke comes back to the house with more clothes than porn."

"Will do!" Naruto said, giving her a backhanded salute with his left hand.

"What happened to the Naruto who was all business and no bullshit…?" Sasuke asked himself.

"He's still here, just off taking a sabbatical while the almost-dead Naruto from his happy-go-lucky days is trying to break out of the funk that the nihilist Naruto dragged him into," Naruto said in a very ragged voice. "Anyways, before anyone notices the calm that's spread over the area and decide to open their shops again, we have to get this started or else we wait for another day off."

"Alright, alright… I just want to get these things so we can get on with the clothes procurement," Sasuke said.

Both genin flew through the hand signs, forgoing the invocation of the jutsu in favor of keeping it quiet as long as possible. In their places as the smoke cleared, There now stood 'Kiyone' as the Hokage had seen 'her', and a slightly older, taller girl with pale blue hair that was flipped all over to the left side of her head and proceeded down to her waist. With a black mini skirt, black short heels with open toes and a white tube top that showed no signs of a bra underneathe to support her ample breasts.

They moved quietly to the bookstore door, took one last look to make sure they hadn't been spotted, Naruto knocked on the glass of the store's door.

Slowly the door opened, and a middle-aged man poked his head out the door and scanned up and down the streets before realizing who had disturbed the silence. "Oh, it's you Kyoko! Come in, come in!" he said, opening the door for the two 'girls'.

Naruto and Sasuke stepped inside quietly as the shopkeep closed the door. "I see you've brought a friend with you this time. Someone else learning to pose for Lord Jiraiya's works I assume?" he asked as he moved to the counter.

"Yes, my friend Kya here was hand-picked by the old coot from a village on the boundary with Ame a few months ago, and he managed to get her here under the cover of a refugee from Wave, and she's been living with me since then."

"Yes, Lord Jiraiya was very generous," 'Kya' said. "He's making sure I have everything I need, and all he asks in return is that I help with his research."

The man nodded his head as he took a seat on the stool by the cash box embedded in the counter. "I see, I see. Jiraiya has been my best-selling author and anyone that has helped him pump out those works of his is welcome in my shop."

"Since Kya is just starting," 'Kyoko' said, "I thought it would be best if we get her a starter's selection in the categories she plans to assist him in."

"Of course, that won't be a problem at all!" the man said. He got off his stool and motioned for them to follow him to the back room. "So which categories is our new apprentice participating in? Slave, dominatrix, rape victim…?"

"Actually, he's asking that I study up on his 'catgirl' works," Sasuke said, making his face blush a bit. "He wants me to be fluent with everything so I can think of new material…"

"Ah yes, his _All-Purpose Sexual Catgirl_ series!" he said, stopping at the farthest wall back from the doorway. "It's been one of our latest hits, since there was a release of the limited-edition boxset containing all twenty books as well as a copy of the never-before-released _All Purpose Sexual Catgirl: Mitsuru_, telling the stories of all the main characters and how they had come to become the sexually carnivorous catgirls they developed into in the rest of the series."

"You're kidding, he released it and didn't tell us?!" 'Kyoko' asked, true shock on 'her' face.

"Oh yes, Lord Jiraiya only approved the distribution of this item to the top sellers. We of course received several more units due to this shop having been where his first sale happened." He pulled down a box from a higher shelf and opened it up. "Here we are!" he said as he extracted a vacuum-sealed boxset of books.

"How much will this cost me?" Sasuke asked. He was very afraid for his limited supply of available cash, given he also wanted to hit the clothing shops after this stop.

"There won't be any charge, Kya!" the man said, holding the boxset out to 'her'. "As a loyal provider of Jiraiya's work, my shop provides anything within reason to the women that help him create his works of art. And," he said, pulling a single book out and handing it to 'Kyoko', "here is your copy of the single, Kyoko. I hope his secret work provides you both with more inspiration for our great literary master. Now, if you would excuse me, I must be reopening the shop." He closed the box and replaced it on the shelf, following the two 'girls' back to the front door. "Shinobi affairs are all well and good, but it gets rather inappropriate when they occur within the village and between comrades in arms. I need to get the shop open again, so I'll be seeing the two of you around!"

Both 'girls' bowed and said 'thank-you' as they left, their treasures hidden from sight by paper bags they had grabbed on their way out.

After a few minutes of walking, Sasuke followed Naruto's lead and they went into one of the back alleys. With a quick glance up and down the way, both genin released the disguises.

"See? That was a piece of cake!" Naruto said as he looked at the cover art of the new book.

"How'd you find out about him?" Sasuke said, admiring the art on the outside of the boxset.

Naruto pocketed his new prize and pulled out his storage scroll. "Kakashi; decided to follow him one day after class let out a few years back. Watched him go into Shugo's shop and come back out with a discretely wrapped bundle under his arm. Then, after I created my ultimate disguise jutsu, I decided to give it a field test. I had gotten hold of one of these books to see about doing the transformation to look like one, and accidentally created the sexy jutsu when I forgot to keep my fingers straight with one of the signs. Ever since, I've been heading in every couple months."

"Nice." Sasuke took one last look at his prize then held it out to his blonde friend. "Here, can you seal this until I can get it back to my place?"

"No problem; we'll probably end up asking for you and Mari-chan to stay the rest of the weekend so we can make that hearing on Monday," he responded while sealing away the boxset. "Okay, now that we've got you started on your collection, now to get you a new wardrobe."

"Might as well…"

[---]

"Alright girls, here we are!" Ayame said, pointing to the sign in the window. "'Shinobu's Rack-Shack'!"

Before the three kunoichi stood a large, stand-alone building two stories tall with large wide windows. Mannequins displayed multitudes of fashions in just as many colors.

"You sure we're going to find what I'm looking for?" Temari asked, twirling a fan around her finger.

Ayame smiled as she pulled the blonde inside behind her. "Oh yeah, this is the best woman's clothing shop in the village. If they don't have something that you want, you'll have to head to Maseki City!"

"Ayame! It's good to see you!" came a high-pitched voice. "Are these two young ladies your friends?" A man in a pale green silk shirt and white slacks with white sandals on his feet stepped from behind racks of clothes and fabrics, flipping the thick blonde braid off his shoulder.

"Hello Shisai!" Ayame said, waving and smiling. "This is my friend, Temari, and our boyfriend's sensei Aisha! We came looking for some specific outfits, mostly to better suit Temari's new occupation as a shinobi."

Aisha and Temari looked around as the man looked them over. "Now, before I start throwing what _I_ think would suit you, I first need to know a few things."

"Go ahead," Ayame said as the four of them sat down in a small area with couches and tables.

"First: are you and that young blonde bomb of yours finally going out?" the man asked, crossing his legs like Ayame had upon seating herself.

"Yes, Dad finally has accepted that we've had feelings for each other…" responded the blushing brunette. "And officially, we've been dating now since the day he came out of that coma."

"Ooo, I can't _wait_ for your wedding! I already have your dress design ready to surprise you with, but no peeking until I see a ring on that finger misy!" he said, enforcing the emotion with a wagging finger to preemptively shoot down her begging. "Second: when you said 'boyfriend', did you mean that both of you have boyfriends, or…" he asked, his eyebrow rising as he looked at Temari.

"Yes, Aya-chan and I are actually _sharing_ Naruto-kun. Is there anything wrong with it?" Temari asked, her finger twirling the fan she hadn't put away with a certain tenacity.

"That depends darling! Is he trying to figure out which of you he truly wants, or is he planning to go all the way with you both?"

"I can answer that one," Aisha said, breaking her silence. "First, I'm actually Naruto's long-lost cousin, on his mother's side; she was my aunt. My father married a woman from an outlying border village of Kumo, Spreyga. As to his plans, Naruto-kun _is_ planning to marry both of these girls, and most likely another one who may or may not appear down the line."

"Ooo, tre kinky!" Shisai squealed. "Okay then, I've got more dresses to design! But all of that later, for right now it seems you want clothing that's both fit for duty and leisure."

"Of course, and that shows off but hides my figure if you can," Temari said.

"Before we start tearing through my selections and inventory, I need to know a few things," Shisai said as he held up his hand. "First, what colors are you looking for?"

"Mostly black, with accents of pink or yellow. Enough to show my femininity but not enough to detract from the fact that I'm no one's bitch."

"Very nice. I'm already seeing a few choices!" he said. He looked around and then returned to Temari. "Now, do you want a shirt, a blouse, or another kind of top? What about pants, shorts, skirts…?"

"I was actually thinking of a top that revealed my shoulders by use of a cut going from under the armpit to just outside of my neck, with a turtle-neck neckline. Possibly a patch just about the cleft of my cleavage. And for the bottoms, think you can find something of a long skirt that meets on the outside of my legs with small ties, but has enough stretch to maintain a close illusion of my legs?"

"Oh my, it seems like someone's either got their ear to the ground in the fashion world or they've got spies in my company!" Shisai said with a laugh. "That skirt was going to be the main focus of my spring-summer clothing line. Before we go and get you fitted, are you a spy?"

"Of course not! I'm just very informed, considering I'm having to keep up with the fashions of both Konoha and Suna," Temari said with a smirk. "Being the Sand Emissary, I have to keep up to date and sometimes slightly ahead of the times."

Shisai's eyes went wide. "You're… the liaison from Suna?"

"That she is Shisai," Ayame chirped.

The clothes designer clasped his hands together with a sparkle in his eyes. "I would be _honored_ to meet and surpass any of your wardrobe needs!"

Temari closed her fan with a _snap_ and waved her hand. "Don't be so melodramatic. Of course I'm going to come to you. Aya-chan says your establishment is the best in the entire village."

"Glory to my humble shop!" the man said loudly. "Now, let's go get you outfitted for your new life as a fashionable kunoichi!"

Temari smiled as she and the other two girls stood up. "Yes, let's go search your selections! I dearly want to see what you have…"

The blonde man beckoned them after him as he headed to the back of the shop, speaking quickly about what he had and what he could design on a whim. The three hung on every word he spoke as he detailed the clothing, mentally drooling in their own ways.

[---]

"We're here!"

"Took you two long enough!"

"I love you too, Mari-chan," Naruto said with a grin as he took the seat between Temari and Ayame at the ramen stand.

Sasuke pushed the multitude of shopping bags to the middle chair across the table from Naruto as he sat across from Ayame, Aisha on the other side of the bags. "I see the three of you obtained quite the haul…"

"Yes, Ayame's friend-"

"Oh god, you introduced them to Shisai?" Naruto asked, his hand covering his eyes in fear.

"Yep!" Ayame smiled.

"I'm scared…"

"Who's Shisai, and why are you of all people scared Naruto?" Sasuke asked, apparently the only one able to ask what Temari and Aisha were also thinking.

Naruto slumped his head to the table surface. "In short, Shisai takes his 'food' from the wrong side of the buffet line…"

"Ruto-kun!" Ayame scolded as she smacked him in the back of the head. "Shisai's a perfectly normal business man! He's even offered to help us get you good clothing for a decent price!"

"That may be, but you didn't _see_ the 'clothes' he was fitting me for! Then there's the fact that he's got wandering fingers during the fitting process…" he responded.

"Uh huh," the brunette responded. "Then I guess you aren't going to like that he's going to be providing all of Temari's wardrobe I bet."

Naruto raised a hand in protest. "Now I never said that I didn't like his clothing for women, it's just that he creeps me the fuck out and I don't particularly like the male clothing designs he peddles."

"Okay, enough about what _I_ got, what did you guys get for Sasuke?" Temari asked, poking Naruto in the side lightly."By the looks of it, you two didn't even purchase a single thing! Where are his bags?"

Sasuke pointed at Naruto's vest as he spoke up. "You forget, Naruto carries that sealing scroll with him everywhere. We just stowed my stuff in there until we get back to the house."

"Oh yes, the scrolls I got you for your birthday," Ayame said. That's when she looked at him with wide eyes. "Shit, I didn't get you anything for your last birthday!"

"It's fine, no worries," Naruto said dismissively. "Besides, I was in that coma remember?"

"Hey everyone!" Teuchi interrupted. "The usual for everyone?"

They all nodded as the ramen chef returned with his own nod and went back behind the counter, picking up the empty bowls and bills on the counter from recently departed customers before moving behind the dividing wall.

They waited quietly for their orders over the next few moments. Naruto was sitting back in his chair as Temari and Ayame leaned against him, Aisha looking outside as Sasuke twiddled a kunai around his fingers.

Teuchi finally came out with the tray, lowering it as Ayame passed the bowls around. "Don't worry, today's on the house. It's been a very profitable day!"

"Thanks a lot Teuchi," Naruto said as he broke his chopsticks.

The five of them enjoyed the idle conversation that popped up every now and then as they ate, not discussing anything really interesting. Time passed as they ate, calm and peaceful air surrounding them as the last of the working day slothed by.

[---]

**Okay peoples, that's enough for this chapter!**

**Next chapter starts off with the hearing over the Naruto/Kakashi incident in front of the Combined Village Council, then goes into some of their first missions as official genin.**


	5. Legacies Departure

(Prinnies sweep the minute amount of dust and plaster off the stage)

**Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter 5 of **_**Noodles & Ninja Wire**_**!**

**Like I said at the end of ch4, this one focuses on their first week as genin, starting with the hearing in front of the CVC concerning the incident between Naruto and Kakashi over the bookstore.**

(Etna pokes me _hard_ with her spear)

**Damn it woman, leave me be! I wasn't going to ramble this time!**

(She pokes me even harder)

**Fucking succubus!**

(I pull out my katana and drive the incoming point of her spear into the ground as a trio of prinnies run by, banner trailing behind them saying

Hurry up and read this chapter doods! Master Etna and Crimsora are going to be fighting soon and we don't want you to see it!

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"This council will now cast its vote on the following charges against Uzumaki Naruto and Hatake Kakashi." Shibi stood up and looked the two shinobi standing before the conference table. Naruto and Kakashi stood within arms' reach of each other as an ANBU captain stood between them. The Hokage sat at the far end of the long table, with shinobi clan heads to his right going Hyuuga, Nara, Inuzuka, Akimichi, Aburame, with the civilian economic council opposite with Danzo, Homura, Koharu, Haruno, Yamanaka from the Hokage's left. Aisha and Temari stood on either side of the door with their respective weapons standing on end before them, the rest of the Hokage's traditional ANBU guard beside them.

"On the charge of attempted assault and battery by Hatake against Uzumaki, the council votes 'guilty' against Hatake on the basis that he reacted without solid reason in regards to the taunts and jabs aimed at his pride by Uzumaki."

All remained silent, but a picture speaks a thousand words so they say. Kakashi's visible eye twitched angrily; Naruto looked bored as did Sasuke who stood behind and to the left of his teammate; Temari and Aisha both remained calm; all ANBU were unreadable; the entire council seemed to almost have taken lessons from Aburame Shibi in playing poker as their faces almost seemed to be carved from stone.

"The council votes 'innocent' on the charge against Uzumaki for treason via assaulting a comrade of this vllage on the basis of his actions being strictly in self-defense of his own person. Thusly, the charge of treason for assaulting a comrade of this village raised against Hatake holds with a vote of 'guilty." Nothing changed except for the amount of twitching Kakashi's eyebrow was making as time went on. "On the charge of acting outside Uzumaki's jurisdiction when confronting Hatake, the council votes 'innocent' on the basis that he _was _within his responsibilities as afforded the rank of tokubetsu genin."

"Now hold on one moment!" Kakashi burst out. "How can he possibly be granted such a rank when you all know exactly _what_ he is!?"

"Notion to add 'treason for breaking the Silence Accord Regarding the Kyuubi Incident'," spoke up the Hokage.

Hiashi spoke up: "Is this in addition to the current charge, or a whole new charge to add to the current list?"

"As this hearing IS about the events that took place on Saturday while Hatake was still on active-duty, this would have to be dealt with in another hearing at a later time," Sarutobi said lacking emotion.

"Indeed," Shibi responded, adjusting his glasses slightly. "The council votes 'guilty' in the instance of Hatake violating the SARKI."

Everyone not sitting at the table almost dropped to the floor in surprise. Shibi ignored this noticeable reaction as he looked over the remaining statements. "In regards to the charge of attempted murder via forbidden jutsu as performed by Hatake against Uzumaki, the council rules 'guilty'."

A tick mark appeared over Kakashi's head as his eye started to twitch, Temari starting to get a tad weak in the knees from all the suspense in the room. Naruto merely looked at the leaders of the village. Sasuke was controlling his emotions just as if he had never spoken to Naruto that first day in November on the rooftop. "On the charge of using excessive force to subdue an opponent until reinforcements arrived, Uzumaki is found 'innocent' by vote of the council."

There was a long pause after the last charge as an air of doom filled the council chamber. Sarutobi lowered his hat's brim to hide his eyes, the other council members otherwise doing something to avert their eyes as Shibi read out the last item on the list before him.

"In the case of Uzumaki calling forth the power of the Kyuubi without proper warrant and for personal justice, the council votes 'guilty' against Uzumaki."

This drastically changed the atmosphere in the room.

Kakashi's twitching and tick mark instantly disappeared, replaced with his ridiculous 'u-shaped eye-smile'. Naruto's eyes narrowed as his entire face started twitching. Aisha and Temari gripped their weapons tightly enough to the point that their knuckles started popping under the pressure. Sasuke's own fists started clenching.

"The council will now pass down its judgments for punishments upon the accused." Shibi held his hand out to Choza who passed him a paper passed down from Sarutobi. The Aburame clan head looked at it, and you could almost swear he broke out into a cold sweat.

"Based on the rulings of the charges posed against Hatake Kakashi, death would be the immediate punishment for the single charge." He coughed before continuing. "But in light of his service record, and his value to the village currently, the council deems leniency is in order."

Naruto resisted the urge to burst out, given that he'd received such leniency before.

"As such, the council rules that Hatake will be stripped of his jonin rank and demoted to chunin, unable to participate in any exams as either partaker or proctor for the next five years. In addition, Hatake's access to specific functions, buildings, and other missions afforded to a jonin or otherwise experienced shinobi allotted to jonin is revoked until such time that he regains his former rank."

"You can't do that!" Kakashi yelled. "Look at what I've done for this village! I can't be of use to Konoha if I'm a fucking _chunin_!"

"Silence!" Sarutobi shouted, slamming his fist down.

"Hatake will also receive a fifty percent pay cut, to compensate the owners of the shops on the street in which the incident took place." Shibi shifted to the next page and hesitated. Kakashi looked down at his feet depressed, any hopes of keeping his dignity gone as long as he was reduced to chunin status.

The atmosphere in the chamber became ice-cold as the Aburame commenced.

"In the case of Uzumaki Naruto, the ruling punishment shall now be handed down from the council." Everyone on Naruto's squad stiffened in anticipation. "As deemed appropriate, the ruling of this council is that Uzuamki Naruto, for the act of invoking the presence and power of the demon fox without warrant, is hereby banished from the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

That's when shit was a centimeter from hitting the fan.

"Lord Hokage," Aisha started as she and Temari stepped forward. "You cannot allow the council to banish Naruto. His standing as a tokubetsu genin alone should prevent such a ruling!"

"Councilmen," Temari said, "with all due respect, you cannot afford one member of your ranks leniency when he should be executed after being found guilty of so many charges while banishing a newly appointed ninja when his charge does not compare to those of his opponent!"

Sasuke stepped up, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Does my witness statement mean nothing to this council? Uzumaki acted in all accounts within reason and restraint!"

"That is enough!" Sarutobi said, standing up and grabbing everyone's attention. "This council's ruling is backed by the Hokage, and will not be rescinded!"

"Is this truly how you feel I should be treated, Sarutobi?" Naruto said calmly. His squad moved aside as he took a single step forward. "Is it your ruling that I should be forced out of my home, the home that my _father_ sacrificed his life to save, the village he condemned his only _son_ to protect? Tell me, Lord _Hokage_, do you truly feel that I should be banished, for using a tool at my disposal when faced with a superior force? I want the truth, I want it now, and I want you to come here, look me straight in the eye, and tell me without hesitation and emotion!"

The civilian economic council members were almost choking on the tension in the air, the gathered shinobi barely keeping the sweat from pouring out their pores as Naruto's words struck each of them in the heart. Even Kakashi was wanting to run, only being restrained by the presence of the ANBU captain behind him.

Silently, the aging leader of Konoha walked around the shinobi council side of the table and stood directly in front of Naruto.

"Naruto…" he started, raising his head to look at him face to face, the two of them being the same height. His eyes betrayed no emotion, His voice rang out in the dead silence as he spoke. "You may be a tokubetsu genin, you may be the son of the late Yondaime Hokage, you may be the only thing protecting the world from the wrath of the Nine-Tailed Fox, but it has been decided that you are no longer a ninja of this village, nor are you welcome within these walls. Henceforth, you will be banished from this village within three days, with whatever personal property you can carry."

"Then, you would condemn the sole heir of the Namikaze clan to banishment?" the vessel asked coldly. This elicited a gasp from the council. "Yes, I know that my father's family was once a prominent clan of Konoha. But it seems that the Namikaze line is of no importance as long as there's the other clans to loyally serve the Leaf."

Sarutobi walked back without another word to his place at the far end of the table. Upon sitting, he lowered the brim of his hat again as he spoke. "The ruling of this council is final, and shall not be rescinded. Documentation of these events has already been processed, and all rulings put down."

Temari stepped in front of Naruto, her fan being handed to Aisha. "Then, as the Suna Emissary, I put forth a formal declaration."

The council members were now looking at the blonde kunoichi with big eyes. Sarutobi was still refusing to see anything beyond his hands now, wanting to hide his real emotions as he could feel the tears starting to form.

"As liaison, I have the power to nullify our treaty." Temari looked with dark focus at the leaders. "As the fiancée of Uzumaki, I also have the power to determine what happens with my allegiances. If you pursue his banishment, then I will notify the Kazekage to these proceedings and call for immediate ties between our villages to cease."

"You are not allowed to do such a thing!" Danzo shouted, slamming his hands down onto the table as he stood abruptly. "When you passed our Academy's graduation exam and first adorned our hitai-ite, you renounced your position as liaison! You have no authority to perform such actions!" The civilian council nodded their heads in unified agreement.

"You are misinformed, Danco," Hiashi stated. "While Subaku no Temari may wear this village's hitai-ite, she also wears the hitai-ite of her home village to signify her joint allegiances. As such, she also retained her position as emissary between our two villages, powers withstanding."

Temari nodded her head. "And as such, I state that the treaty of allegiance between Sand and Leaf will hereby be void and null upon Naruto's banishment."

"Temari, you do realize you are making a brash decision by taking this course," Sarutobi said.

"I am well aware of the events, and am willing to accept the consequences." The kunoichi stood her ground firmly as she held her arms firmly at her sides. Her face remained stone-like.

"If the punishment of banishment stands for Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke started, taking a stand next to Temari, "then the Uchiha clan will be forced to remove itself from this village as well."

"You would dare turn your back on the village that's given you everything you've ever needed, the village your family has served for generations, for this threat to society?" Sakura's mother called out.

"Sasuke, think of the girls!" Ino's mother said. "You know that both Ino and Sakura are waiting for you to choose them, and begin rebuilding your clan!"

"My clan be damned. My clan was decimated the day my brother massacred us. Only reason I still live is because he didn't even find it fit to kill me that day." Sasuke pulled off his hitai-ite and held it before him. "For all I care, my allegiance to this village is worth as much to me as my brother is now: nothing more than a mere nuisance, something to not bother myself with if it gets in my way. As sole member of the Uchiha clan, I announce that this village will be short _two_ loyal clans once Uzumaki Naruto is banished in three days' time."

As this news settled into everyone's mind, Aisha then stepped forward. "Since you are seeking the removal of my blood from this village, then I hereby announce that our standing contract will be void effective immediately after he steps foot outside this village in three days. As such, I formally request advance payment for the remaining time in our contract," she said, removing her honorary headband from the sheathe of her sword. "Here is the mercenary Leaf Hitai-ite, as my notice."

The dark woman slid the bundle across the table to Sarutobi, the object coming to a rest just within his viewing field.

'**Wow puddin'-pop, seems like your teammates are willing to put everything on the line just for you!**' Daki called out to her host. '**Maybe you should just roll with the punches these old coots are throwing at you, and come back another time to pay them back, hm?**"

'_I think you're right, Daki. It seems like everyone's lost interest in trying to use me as their tool, and now they seek to get rid of me since I can think outside their precious box…_' he thought back as he coughed.

All eyes fell on Naruto as his squad let him look at the council unobstructed. His face surprised them all, every one of them fearing that the blonde would bust out with a surge of the Kyuubi's power, but instead found him to be eerily smiling brightly at them.

"Well, if it's the will of the _esteemed_ Combined Village Council and supported by our _loving_ Sandaime Hokage, then I guess I can't do anything but bend over and take the banishment up the ass!" he said cheerfully. "Just means that three days from now, I get to slash my headband and never look back!"

"There won't be a need for that," Sarutobi said. "For banishment, your hitai-ite will be stripped from you before you leave-"

Before the last words came of his mouth, the squad of ninja disappeared, weapons and all, via a body-flicker.

"-this conference room…" he let out with a sigh.

An immediate uproar shattered the tense silence as the council members began yelling at one another, the ANBU remaining in place while Kakashi vainly attempted to get out. Sarutobi himself disappeared in a flurry of leaves, leaving the growing noise behind as he reappeared in his office.

'_I'm so sorry Naruto-kun, this wasn't supposed to be the way things went…_' the old man thought as he opened up the space under the floor of his desk. '_I wish there was more that I could do for you…_' he thought sadly, pulling out the giant scroll labeled 'Namikaze'.

[---]

"Aya-chan, Teuchi!" Naruto called out as he and Sasuke appeared in the dishroom of the ramen stand.

"Naruto-kun!" Ayame said as she came in, apron a little messy from some spilled ramen broth. "How'd-"

Sasuke walked past her to the cooking area as Naruto stepped up to her. "Listen, because of something I did during that confrontation with Kakashi I had on Saturday, I've been sentenced to banishment in three days' time."

The brunette looked at him with a horrified expression on her face. "No…"

"Yep, so now I've gotta flee before they send the oinin after me, because I'm refusing to let go of my hitai-ite peacefully. Here's the kicker," he said, pointing at Sasuke came back with Teuchi in tow. "Temari and Sasuke are leaving with Aisha-sensei and me as soon as we've gotten our stuff packed."

"So it's true then…" Teuchi said. "You _are_ banished…"

"Sorry about this Teuchi, but it's unavoidable since Daki's become more appealing to listen to than the village these days." Naruto looked at Sasuke, both nodding to each other. "And I'm sorry about this, but I'm going to have to ask that you both stay here in Konoha."

"No! I can't let you go Naruto-kun!" Ayame shouted, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck.

"Aya-chan, I'm sorry, but as of now I can't afford to risk bringing you along when I leave," he said as he pushed her away, looking her straight in the eye. "I wish I could bring you and your father, but we don't know where we're going to go right now. I can only promise you I'll be back one day to get the two of you, even if I have to go through the entire village's shinobi force to be reunited with you."

Teuchi placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder to stop her from trying to stop Naruto. "Honey, it's best that it happens this way, you know that deep inside."

"I'm going to my clan's home to find anything I didn't know about before ANBU decide to search it. I'll meet you atop the Hokage Monument Naruto," Sasuke said as he jumped out the window above the sinks.

The blonde turned back to his family after nodding to Sasuke's retreating form. "Look, I'll seal up mine and Aisha's rooms so that you two can get in there. Ayame, you know how to activate seals, and I'll get Daki to seal them with a blood-seal. Your house may get targeted later on, but the subterranean rooms that we've made will still be safe. I'll be back one day, to come get both of you. We'll live someplace safe and without worry."

He took Ayame's hand and pulled a kunai from a pouch, pricking the tip of each finger on her hand. He smeared the blood from each prick on the kunai and placed it back in its pocket. "There, we'll be able to perform the seal-craft now. Aisha and Temari-chan are already clearing our things out of the house; Temari's fan that she gave me is going to be hidden in my room, under the bed. I'm going to go back there after this and get the rest of my sealed stuff, and then I'm sealing the rooms. I suggest you move anything valuable down into them tonight after you guys close shop." He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, his head resting atop hers as she took refuge in the crook of his neck and let her tears loose. "Remember, you're always going to be in my heart, and you're still going to be my first wife, and bear my first child. You and your father need to be strong, for all of us."

Teuchi placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder and gave him a soft sad smile. "Don't worry about us Naruto, we managed to get along just fine before you came to stay with us, and we'll be fine until you return. Good luck to you…son" he said, closing his eyes to prevent his tears from ushering forth.

"Don't… go, Ruto-kun…" Ayame let out between sobs.

"Stay strong, Aya-chan…" he whispered. Before the brunette knew what happened, Naruto pressed a point at the base of her neck. Her body slumped into his arms as the blonde handed her over to the ramen chef. "Please, keep her safe, and don't let her handle any sharp pointy object until I return…Father."

Teuchi nodded, resisting the urge to let more tears go. He didn't say another word as Naruto vanished from sight, leaving the two of them alone in the dishroom of the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

[---]

"Well, is everyone ready?"

Naruto looked at his squad standing in front of him. Aisha, her normal attire as always with her sword placed in the back of her obi; Sasuke, new outfit of black cargo shorts, black sandals, and a long-sleeved black jacket over a white shirt, pockets abound on the jacket as his hitai-ite sat looped to rings at his collar and a sizable storage scroll hanging across his back; Temari, her new outfit of a tight-fitting sleeveless black top with pink zig-zag lines down the center of her front as her long form-fitting skirt clung to her legs with diamond designs on the outside of her legs between where the skirt tails were tied together as her pink sandals and handwraps stood out, her fan strapped to her back as a storage scroll hung from her hip as her own hitai-ite sat snugly around her neck. Each of them nodded, his teammates pulling out their own kunai as he readied his.

"Naruto…" came Sarutobi's voice from behind the blonde teenager.

"Hello, Sarutobi-jiji…" he responded as he turned. "Come to see the last vestiges of two prominent clans and the bond with another powerful village leave?"

"Yes, and to give you something before the councilmen find out I've had it this long," the old man said. He reached into the fold of his civilian clothes and pulled out a scroll. "This is-"

"That's the scroll of personal belongings of your father Naruto," Aisha said, gazing quickly at the seal. "It would seem that the Hokage is not without a heart, and is willing to prove the fact by risking his position by giving up a very important piece of property of the village to it's rightful owner than let the village sit on it for eternity or abuse it."

The old man nodded as he held the scroll out to Naruto. "That is correct. Naruto, this scroll holds everything your parents both wanted saved for you. With or without the knowledge or approval of the council, I promised Kushina you would get this when the time came, and I feel now is the best time that you get it, rather than having to fight the village for it. Please, do not look back once you leave…"

Naruto stepped forward and removed his own sealing scroll from his vest, unrolling it and drawing up a fresh seal on it. "I can't turn my back on the people I still have here, and you know it," he said as he took the offered scroll. "I will return one day, and I will not let anything stand in my way either then or any other time now. I have a fiancée and her father to return for in the future after all," he finished as he sealed the scroll away and closed the opened one.

"I see, that explains why you don't have the Ichiraku family with you then," Sarutobi said to himself, Naruto standing and taking a stand between his squad and the Hokage. "I won't stand in your way Naruto-kun. If you would rather mark yourself a missing-nin, as well as your teammates, and run until you find sanctuary rather than leave peacefully, that is your choice. I've already stalled the order to send the hunter-nin after you four until first light tomorrow morning."

Naruto bowed, the three behind him following suit. "Thank you, Saru-jiji. I wish there could have been another path, but it would seem that all other options were removed from under our feet," he said upon uprighting himself.

"And you, Sasuke," the Hokage said with a sad look, "I'm sorry that you feel nothing else is left here for you. But it seems you made sure of that while combing the Uchiha compound."

"Yes, that I did," Sasuke said as he patted his scroll. "I found several things under the clan head's house where my family used to live that I need to study, and I felt it would be unwise to leave anything I could use here for someone else to otherwise abuse."

The old man looked at the blonde kunoichi. "Temari, I'm very sorry about all this. I've already dispatched a messenger hawk to your father to explain the situation. I will be hearing back by this time tomorrow about what his position on the matter is, and how he will in turn react."

"I can already tell you that he will feel indifferently either way. He never cared much for myself or my brothers, only what was going to make our village stronger," the kunoichi said. "I doubt he will actually recognize my declaration, but stranger things have happened."

"Yes, I'm sure there has been," Sarutobi said. He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Well, I wish the four of you the best of luck. And Aisha," he held out a thick envelope, "here is the entirety of your contractual pay, from the end of this morning to when Naruto's team should have all become chunin in two years' time. Take it, with my regards and regrets."

"Thank you, Sarutobi,' she said as she accepted the envelop and let it disappear into her obi.

Silence spread around the group as the old man looked them all over one last time. He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another bundle, yet again handing it to Aisha. "Here, it's best you keep this, out in the open so that word doesn't spread that a unattached kunoichi kidnapped and brainwashed three genin of this village. That would only raise more questions than if you were to scar your honorary headband like your students."

"Sound enough reasoning," she said. She withdrew her sword's sheathe from her obi and slid the upper portions of her kimono down. Taking the cloth of the headband, she tied it around her chest over the topmost rounds of the bandages she wore. Adjusting the strap a bit, she now wore the red-tinted metal plate over her right breast with the Leaf symbol just outside the material of her black kimono after she replaced the fabric on her shoulders. Upon picking her sheathe up again, she withdrew the sword and held it single-handedly as her students readied their kunai.

"Anything else, Sarutobi?" Naruto asked, his kunai firmly placed over his hitai-ite. Sasuke and Temari each held their plates in one hand and kunai in the other as Aisha held the edge of her sword close to her exposed plate.

Sarutobi wiped his eyes clear of the tears that threatened to show themselves. "No… That's everything, Naruto-kun…" he rasped out, his eyes focusing as best they could on the young man before him and his teammates.

"Farewell then… Lord Hokage…" Naruto whispered. With a _schiiiiink!_ of metal against metal, the three genin put away their kunai as their sensei slid her sword back into its sheathe.

The old man turned around as the four shinobi vanished in a flurry of dust and leaves, hoping that everything would be alright down the road, no matter how long it would take for things to return to what those involved referred to as 'normal'.

[---]

"So, the four of them have departed the village you say?"

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru. I received word from my contact in ANBU that the four of them vanished before the official end of this morning's hearing. It's also come to my attention on good authority that all four of them will have departed the village no later than dawn this morning."

"And you're sure that Sasuke's with them?"

"Yes, he and Gaara's older sister, the former Suna emissary both left with the Kyuubi's vessel and the mercenary. I don't know where they plan to go, but all I know is that they're not going to be in Fire Country borders for more than a day or two, depending on which way they go."

"Interesting…"

"Any further orders, Master?"

"No, just keep your low profile for the time being. Our plan is still on schedule for the next step, and it may prove more beneficial that those four ninja won't be present as Konoha shinobi rather than them having stayed…"

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." Silence ensued before the other voice spoke to itself again.

"So, the last Uchiha and the sole Namikaze, along with the container for the six-tailed dragon and Subaku no Radu's daughter have all defected from the Leaf… This should prove quite beneficial indeed…"

[---]

**Alrighty folks, you may be surprised at how short this chapter was, but a whole shitload happened which warranted it being short. Some of you may not like short chapters, some of you may not like long chapters (like what I did with ch3 and ch4), but I felt this chapter had such a turning point that I didn't want to ruin the mood by rambling.**

(Flonne bops me on the top of my head with her staff)

**Dammit Flonne! I know I said there were supposed to be missions after the hearing, but after I got started, I felt like going right past the whole hearing itself and boring the readers and instead get straight to the rulings! That's when I decided 'Fuck it! I'm turning this into a defection-esque story!'**


	6. Entry with Weapons Readied

(Prinnies sit on the edge of the stage eating their lunches from steel lunch pales)

**Allo everyone! Time to see what kind of story I'm turning this into in this installment! I'll get straight to the content rather than fighting with any of my fellow demons! ENJOY!**

(Prinnies walk up and hold a group of signs that read out

Hope you all enjoy where this story's come so far, and hope you continue to read after all the fucked-up mess we've already turned canon into with this story!

[---]

"Fuck…"

"I take it your father's message finally arrived?" Naruto asked, looking at the kunoichi.

"Yes, and he says, and I quote, 'I don't care about your petty disputes or your frivolous flings. If you are going to throw away your position in Konoha, I'll go ahead and send your brother Kankuro. Go die, the Sandaime Kazekage'." She slumped her back against the tree Naruto was perched in, her fan leaning against the trunk to her left.

"Your father reminds me of how mine felt about what little improvements I made in the Academy before my brother slaughtered the rest of the clan," Sasuke said as he dropped from a nearby tree. "He never cared about me, only about my brother Itachi. Now look where we're at: my brother's a missing-nin, and the rest of my clan is six feet under."

Aisha was sitting on a rock across from Sasuke, wiping her sword clean of the bandit blood. "So what do you three want to do now? We have another day at the most before we're out of Konoha's jurisidction, and I doubt any of us are going to be welcomed warmly in Suna given the attitude of the Kazekage's message."

"I think we should seek another hidden village out," Naruto said lazily. "We can't run forever, and without the protection of a shinobi community, we aren't going to be able to focus on training since the majority of our time's gonna be spent on avoiding hunters."

"Our options are limited then," Aisha said. She put the cloth down and looked at the edges of her sword one at a time as she expounded. "First, we can't go to Suna as long as we're being hunted by Konoha, we obviously can't go back," she said, looking at the flat of her sword now. "Hidden Rain hasn't accepted anyone not a recognized tradesmen in twenty years through any border checkpoints, Naruto can't step foot in either Iwa or Kumo due to his father's reputation there as well as being the spitting image of him."

"So that only leaves Sound and Grass, as Waterfall isn't even a real hidden village." Temari flicked open a smaller fan and started cooling off. "I don't know if either Sound or Grass are safe either, as Suna formed a treaty with Sound and Sound had one with Grass just after forming a few years back."

Sasuke took a seat in the middle and hunched over, putting his scroll in his lap. "So between Sound and Grass, which one would be better for us to seek refuge in?"

"Well it's a toss up at the moment. Grass, while being one of the five major villages, actually has ancient ties to Konoha. Plus, there's also the fact that Grass is not really a stable country any more since the last war, with having taken a huge hit to its most experienced shinobi in the last year of the war," Temari said. "Sound, while being new and comparatively small, is rumored to be a force to be reckoned with. Sound is in the midst of what used to be known as Tea Country, but that fell apart the moment the Otokage raised his village."

Naruto dropped from the branch above and landed on Temari's right with his arm over her shoulder. "Didn't you once say your brother Kankuro was the emissary to Sound for your village?"

"Yes, I managed to beat him out for Konoha so our father instead sent him to the Otokage. From the few reports I saw before leaving for Leaf, I saw something interesting," she said as she leaned into his shoulder.

Aisha put her sword back in its sheathe and set it against the rock she sat on. "What exactly was it that you saw?"

"It seems that the leader of Sound is actually a former Konoha shinobi, rather famous and powerful at that," the blonde kunoichi stated. "Orochimaru, I believe the papers said."

"Well, I may not completely approve of this, but given all of the options," Aisha said with a depressed sigh, "I'd rather try my luck with someone like the Snake lord rather than the Tsuchikage or the Raikage, given each of your positions."

"So, any idea where we need to go in Tea Country then?" Naruto asked.

Aisha shook her head. "Only way to get there is going to have to be by being escorted in by one of their patrols. Luckily, a new village such as Sound is sure to have several patrols, many more than a normal village would as they learn the lay of their land and learn the fastest routes to scout their territory. We just need to put ourselves in a large clearing and wait."

Sasuke looked around and then down at the bodies behind Aisha's rock. "So we might as well hurry up and turn in those bandits for the bounty," he said as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Might as well," Temari said. She stood up gingerly and placed her fans back in place as Naruto readjusted his vest.

"Let's go."

Moments later, the place where they'd rested up and cleaned off was as it had been that morning: perfectly untouched by man, and even the blood splotches from the bandit corpses were all gone, seemingly having never been there in the first place.

[---]

"I'm amazed we got so much for those bandits. That should easily cover us until we reach Otogakure now."

The four former Konoha shinobi were leaping from branch to branch. They had turned in the bodies of their prey at the town hall of the nearest village and then proceeded to vanish with the rewards in pocket, making their way in the direction of Tea Country. That stop, was three days ago, a half-day's travel before they finally left Fire Country.

"Any idea when we can stop and wait for one of Orochimaru's patrols to find us?" Naruto asked.

"Who knows?" Aisha shot back.

"This sucks!" Sasuke called out, keeping one hand on his scroll. "I say we just make camp in a while and wait."

Temari laughed out loud. "Seems like someone's getting cranky!"

"I've just never had to travel this much at once before!" Sasuke shot back.

"Let's keep moving. We can wait for a patrol starting tomorrow," Aisha interjected. "After two days have passed, we move on farther into Tea Country. We will continue playing leap frog of two days rest, one day travel until we either come across a Oto patrol or Otogakure itself. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" the three students responded without hesitation.

"Good, now shut up you three!"

[---]

"Okay, this is where we'll camp for the next two days."

Three bodies slumped to the ground against trees upon hearing this news.

"Now that we've set our place, we just need to keep our senses up; despite having scarred plates, the Oto patrols may likely not bother asking questions before attacking." Aisha slammed the point of her sheathe into the ground, securing her sword firmly in the ground. "I'm going to need you three to keep quiet for the moment; I need absolute silence while I secure our surroundings."

Her three students didn't even groan in compliance.

The dark-toned woman knelt before her weapon and interwove her fingers in an intricate sign. She began humming, a strange purple haze beginning to pour from her. The haze floated out in waves to encompass the vast area around them, covering everything in its path from bushes and trees to even animals and the genin. The haze spread far out of the sight of a normal person, but everything the haze came into contact with Aisha was seeing a mental image of it through the tattoo on her forehead.

The haze finally started to dissipate, leaving everything as it had been when they first arrived after several minutes. Aisha stood up and took another look around, finding her students were now out cold. Sasuke was curled up with his scroll clutched in his arms as Temari was playing the part of the little spoon as Naruto pretended to be the big spoon, her fan in front of them both.

'**You humans sure are fragile little things, aren't you?**' came a voice in her head.

'_Well look who's finally decided to rouse himself from his snooze! I haven't heard a peep out of you in several months now Tsukasa. What's the occasion?_' Aisha responded as she took a seat with her back against her sheathe.

'**Merely catching up on the events that have taken place since I last left you. It would seem that much has happened since then, and I can sense much is going to happen soon, possibly more than you can handle.**' The demon's voice sounded slightly bored, yet also a tad peculiar at the same time.

'_That may be, but things aren't going to get easier on any of us,_' she thought back. '_You know, Laharl has most likely dispatched more of his other vassals to search for us, now that Etna most likely spilled the beans about Daki and Naruto. It's only a matter of time before someone else pops in…_'

'**(yawn) Yes, undoubtedly. But such is the way of the Fates; they love to fuck with everyone's path. If the hadn't interfered with Netherworld business, none of my brethren and myself would have been summoned to this dimension.**'

Demon host and demon tenant talked mentally as the time passed, none of the other three even stirring once throughout the night. Aisha may not have reacted to it, but she knew right away when the first eavesdropper appeared shortly before dawn the next day. She merely kept her senses focused and waited, caution wrapped around her in the event that the watcher would become an opponent.

[---]

"So you're saying you've found a squad of missing-nin bearing scarred Konoha plates?"

An albino youth nodded his head. "Yes mi'lord, four shinobi seemingly bearing hitai-ites of the Leaf with scars through the insignia, nearly three days' travel from the Fire Country border."

A pale-faced man with limp black hair looked at him scrupulously, his snake-like golden eyes focused on the youth's face. "Tell me of these 'missing-nin', describe them in detail as best you can."

"All are wearing mostly black, two are openly armed. One bears a zanbatou which she has embedded into the ground as the other visible weapon being a large fan. The one with the fan is the blonde kunoichi, and judging by the make of it, she is actually the Kazekage's errant daughter who gave up her position as liaison between Suna and Konoha for her fiancée. She and one of the other two in the group are carrying what appear to be storage scrolls. The one with the sword is a darker woman, possibly descended from a Kumo parent but also has silver, almost platinum hair, indicating a sea-side parent as well. The oddball in the group is the last one: he doesn't have any visible weapons nor is he carrying anything else that can be seen. Both males are wearing black and white or grey, one having black hair who has the storage scroll from his waist as the other boy is older and a blonde whose vest bears a strange design that we cannot identify as of yet on the back of it. As of now, they are apparently just performing the tree-climbing exercise with the trees in the boundary of the camp they've set up."

The man laced his fingers together as he pondered the information. "So, two blondes, a blackhead, and a silverhead who seems to be from part Kumo heritage…"

"Do you have any further instructions, mi'lord?" the youth asked, his head aimed directly at the seated man before as the rest of his body remained in the kneeling position on the floor below the stairs to the dais.

"Tell me about the females, I need to know the colors they wear other than the black. And about their plates as well."

"The blonde kunoichi wears pink sandals and handwraps, with pink accents on her visible clothing, with her hitai-ite wrapped firmly around her neck as a choker. The older kunoichi is wearing crimson sandals and handwraps, with a crimson obi holding her kimono in place. She wears a very odd headband, tinted red as the obi around her waist as she wears the scarred plate on the inside over a chest bandage wrap and a black choker bearing the sign for 'awareness' in crimson thread. The younger boy has his hitai-ite looped through rings on the left of his jacket's collar, the older blonde boy wearing his from similar rings over the location of his heart."

"So, they've managed to get this far into our territory unnoticed… Impressive…" The man sat straight up and looked the albino in the eye. "Hurry, take the rest of your team and escort our 'guests' here immediately. Prepare to leave in thirty minutes, no questions. Dismissed."

No audible response came from the albino as he vanished in a dust cloud. The pale man seated on the lone chair in the room behind a large stone table leaned himself forward with his head resting in the palm of one hand, quietly rolling the information around his head.

"This is much better than I could have ever planned! Not only is the Uchiha coming to me without a hassle, I not only gain the Kazekage's daughter, but also the vessel for the Kyuubi! And even another tool for my plans!"

The man burst into sick laughter echoed off the vacant walls in the vast room.

[---]

"We've been expecting your arrival."

"Then I'm sorry we've kept you waiting so long," said the albino youth, he and three other ninja appearing from the treeline.

"Like fucking hell I'm sorry!" said one of the other shinobi, appearing as a redheaded kunoichi when she came within view of those around the campfire.

A larger ninja came into view, a bald youth apparently the same rough age as the albino. "Now now, a proper lady doesn't speak in such a foul tongue. How often am I going to have to remind of that?"

The last ninja, appearing slightly older and broader than the others with a bandanna covering his whole head, stepped forward into the light. "I honestly think that she's _never_ going to give up her habits. I'd just as soon have you get used to it and let it be."

"I'm sorry for the rude behavior of my teammates, they do not get along with each other well, others not even that well." The albino stepped closer and pointed at Aisha. "You must be the leader of this squad. May I ask you something?"

"You could if I actually was the leader," she responded. "But it's actually my cousin," she pointed at Naruto, "who you would find the be the closest thing to a leader between us."

The pale youth turned to Naruto, his gaze unwavering. "Then, you are the one I need to ask. Are you truly defectors from Konoha, or merely a ruse in which your leader seeks to use as spies?"

"If the Combined Village Council had had it's way, the Sandaime Hokage would never be allowed to order the Uchiha heir and the Suna emissary outside village walls on such a mission," the blonde responded as he kept his gaze fixed on the fire. "I am Uzumaki Naruto, my cousin whom you first spoke to is Uzumaki Aisha, and he," pointing to Sasuke, "is Uchiha Sasuke, and she," pointing to the other blonde, "is Subaku no Temari. May I ask you four of your monikers?"

"Just because you gave us your names doesn't fucking mean you get ours, you little shit!" the redhead spat.

The albino sighed. "Please forgive Tayuya, she is rather volatile to most everyone. The only person she doesn't verbally abuse and attack is our leader. I am Kaguya Kimimaro, Tayuya has already been introduced, Jiroubou," he pointed at the bald ninja who looked like he could make an Akimichi envious of his capacity,"and then there's Kidomarou," he concluded while pointing at the one with the broad physique and bandanna. "Our leader, the Otokage, sends us in hopes that you will come back to the Hidden Village under Sound to meet with him."

Naruto stood up and dusted his pants off. "That's exactly what we've been waiting for, for nearly four days now actually. If no one had come to us here by first light in a few hours, we'd have been on the move until this time tomorrow."

"Oh fucking great, now we actually have to bring these pieces of crap back?" Tayuya flared.

"Enough Tayuya," Kimimaro said. "We have our orders; we were to confront them, confirm their status, and then bring them before Lord Orochimaru accordingly. As such, our last mission objective is to escort them speedily back to our leader. No questions." He faced the former Konoha shinobi and inclined his head as he gestured behind his own group. "Please, it's for the best that we make haste. Our leader can be rather impatient when it comes to certain matters, and I am assured that this would be a situation very high on that list."

Naruto waved his hand at the others, each of them wasting no time in standing and joining him before Kimimaro. Aisha made a wide sweep of her foot as she stepped past the campfire, the entire stone ring disappearing under the flush of soil and the flames immediately being doused.

"Lead the way."

Without another word, all eight shinobi took to the trees, making their way to the Village Hidden under Sound.

[---]

"Here we are," Kimimaro said as he leapt from the last tree down to a small clearing, the only visible construct being a rundown barn.

"Hey Kimimaro," came a voice from the doorway. A palid-skinned boy stepped out of the decrepit building with blue hair and dark lipstick. "I see you guys managed to return with the 'guests'…"

"Yes, and Lord Orochimaru has made it quite clear that we aren't to be delayed Sakon." The albino moved forward with the rest of his team behind Naruto's group.

"Like I'd get in the way of anyone doing something this big," the boy said, his hands flying up in defense as he stepped to the side of the doorway. "And if you happen to see Dosu, remind that fucking mummy bastard he's got guard duty at midnight, and he better be on time tonight."

"I'll make sure he reports for duty Sakon, just be prepared in the event Orochimaru wants you to join us soon." Kimimaro didn't give the other pale shinobi a second look as the rest of the large group followed him into the building.

Sakon stepped back in the building after them, taking a seat above the doorway on a discretely built ledge. "Will do."

The group of eight came to a halt before the back of the barn, the leader kneeling down and activating a seal hidden on the floor. A moment later, and the back wall shuddered apart at the seams to reveal a dark cavern behind it. Kimimaro gestured the four newcomers to follow him, the other three tagging along, and thus the form Konoha shinobi took their first real steps into Otogakure.

[---]

"Lord Orochimaru, we have brought you the missing-nin that we reported yesterday," Kimimaro said as he and his teammates kneeled at the base of the stairs to the dismal dais.

Naruto and his own team stood behind each of the four before them. Naruto stood behind Tayuya, Aisha to his left behind Kimimaro, Temari to his right behind Jiroubou, and Sasuke on the other side behind Kidomarou. They kept their hands in plain sight but didn't let the atmosphere get the best of them, ready and willing to grab their weapons at a moment's notice given the need.

"I have heard much about _each_ of you four," came the voice of the pale man at the top of the dais. He wore a light grey tunic with black body suit underneathe, the tunic held in place with an overly large purple rope tied in the back. His pale skin brought out the lack of highlights in his black hair, golden eyes narrowed to a reptilian slit each. "Let's go down the line shall we?" he pointed at Temari first.

"You, my dear, are the eldest child and single daughter of my ally the Sandaime Kazekage. It's very fortunate you came here, as your brother Kankuro was recalled and reassigned to take over for you in Konoha after you 'abandoned' your post there for your 'fiancee." He then pointed at Sasuke.

"You, my boy, are the last Uchiha to step foot inside the Leaf, and sole survivor of the Massacre which your brother performed single-handedly. Oh how it shook and almost destroyed some regimes in that village when you declared your allegiance to Konoha was only valid as long as your beloved teammate was still a Leaf shinobi." He then focused his gaze on Aisha.

"You, my dear kunoichi, are something of a mystery. All that I've been able to ascertain about your past is you hail from Spreyga, and that your mother was gone for a few years from that village with a man from Whirlpool, returning just after the Third War started with you. You've been traveling the nations, doing mostly mercenary work until you took an extended contract with the Great Fire Shadow, teaching the last of your party." He then faced Naruto, giving off a sinister smile.

"And you, you poor wretched orphan, are the last of two powerful clans, doomed to walk the earth for eternity so long as you contain the burden your father sealed within you. The Kyuubi's regenerative powers will essentially keep you immortal, never aging beyond the physical age of twenty or so. I'm very sorry to hear about the circumstances in which you were forced to flee, but such is to be expected when one such as yourself has no other alternative."

"So, you truly are one of the Sannin," Naruto said. "The man who was banished for performing inhumane experiments on his fellow man in the search of immortality, he whose array of jutsu encompasses a vast Arcanum, and he who knows over five hundred forbidden jutsu. Orochimaru, summoner of the Great Snakes." Naruto looked at the man and then glanced over to the corner. "I sense there's more than just the nine of us in here. I smell something… familiar over in the darkness behind you…" he added, sniffing the air to punctuate his statement.

Orochimaru smiled as he laughed. "So, it would seem you're picking up some of the innate abilities of the creature you hold in your gut, Naruto-kun. Yes, I'm _very_ sure you'll remember my lieutenant."

"How have you been, Naruto? I haven't seen you since last week, and I'm so sorry to hear about how the council ruled against you…" came Kabuto's voice. He stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of Orochimaru on a lower step with his hand instinctively adjusting the bridge of his glasses. "I'm surprised you were able to smell me though. Something very interesting must be occurring within your body lately…"

Orochimaru snickered. He looked at his underlings and then faced the four behind them again. "I feel that now isn't the time to formally introduce ourselves or catch up with old acquaintances."

"Of course not; we have more pressing matters to attend to first," Aisha said as she pulled her sheathe out and held it in the middle before her vertically. "We seek asylum and employment within your village. On our own, we would not stand as good a chance against hunter-nins dispatched by the Combined Village Council of Konoha than if we were part of another village."

"And you think that any of you are worth the effort to do such a thing?" Orochimaru retorted. "Just because you were prominent in your last village does not constitute immediate entrance into mine just by request. You have to _prove_, you have to _earn_ your places here." He looked at each of them in turn, pondering something evil in his mind.

"Then we shall partake of a form of entrance exams, similar to what you would remember of the Academy graduation exams 'back home'," Naruto spoke up. "Difference is, we fight one on one against your best team, fair fights until first blood or someone calls mercy."

"Why not to the death? I feel it would be a better way to analyze each of your skills if you were all faced with a life-and-death situation, rather than a pitiful and ordinary duel," Orochimaru countered. He looked hard at the blonde boy, attempting to use pure killing intent pressure on him to make him succumb to his will.

Naruto yawned and stretched as he responded. "But there's a very _big_ flaw with your idea. We all have a subconscious will to survive. Sasuke for instance may go berserk and finally activate his bloodline, and kick everyone's ass on the adrenaline rush he'd get. Temari here would easily be able to turn a majority of your forces into mulch if aggravated, You only have a small clue as to what would happen if I was forced to release what little power I have of the demon fox's, and as for Aisha… Let's just say, she could level this entire place with just the use of her sword, if need be…" Naruto looked the Otokage dead in the ey finally. "Besides, what use is four living ninja and four corpses as compared to eight living ninja?"

"Hah! You have a certain point there, Naruto-kun. While I may be able to utilize a corpse, it's not a very effective weapon in the long run as compared to a live ninja is," Orochimaru said. "Very well, This time tomorrow, the four of you will face off against those standing before you."

Each of the four kneeling shinobi stood and did an about-face, each one bearing no emotion to the Konoha defector facing them in return.

"You will each have a one-hour match, either to the timer's end, a drawing of first blood, or one of you calls mercy. No killing blows or other techniques that would otherwise cause death. Any and all items and weapons you can bring in with you are open for use during these fights. Kabuto will be the overseer as all of Oto will be spectating in the stands of our own stadium, below this very chamber. If any of you win, you receive your opponent's hitai-ite as proof and become a member of Oto's force, rank pending proper evaluation determined by myself during the fights." Orochimaru smiled darkly as he finished with one last stipulation. "If any of you happen to lose to my personal guardsmen, you will have to choose either to immediate execution or to be placed under life in prison. We don't want the location of this village to be released to our enemies after all."

Each of his teammates looked at him quickly, nodding once. Naruto took a breath and smirked. "You've got yourself a match. Tomorrow we find out how good your personal guard really are."

"Good, good! You are confident!" Orochimaru smiled sinisterly. "I can't have ninja in my service who are unsure of themselves. I just hope that you are merely confident and not arrogant."

"Believe me, you'd have been impressed with my 'performance' at the graduation exam," Naruto said as he flicked a roach off his foot.

Orochimaru smiled as he sat down behind his large and depressingly bare desk. "Oh, I was quite amazed with your display given what Kabuto said of you. To see a boy not even an official ninja perform a forbidden jutsu and then have his clones perform two obviously advanced jutsu simultaneously is extremely surprising. I just hope you can give us all the same kind of display tomorrow when you go against our dear Tayuya."

Kabuto turned and faced the pale leader, a strange look on his face. "What shall we do with them for the night, we surely can't afford them free roam right now."

Kimimaro and the others turned around yet again. "I will take Naruto and Sasuke into my quarters for this evening. Tayuya will watch over Aisha and Temari in hers. We will advise them of standard regulations in the village tonight and make sure everyone is prepared for tomorrow."

"Very forthcoming Kimimaro," Orochimaru said as he leaned back in his chair. "Then you are all dismissed. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn I expect to see the eight of you in the center of the stadium. Be prepared for a very lengthy test."

Silently the eight shinobi at floor level bowed and left, Tayuya and Kimimaro leading their respective temporary charges out of the chamber.

Kabuto walked over and faced his leader. "Are you sure that allowing them the opportunity to join the village is a wise decision? What if they are merely attempting to lull us into believing them to be runaways, and aren't secretly spying on us for the Hokage?" he asked, a glint reflecting off his glasses' lens.

"Do not worry, Kabuto," Orochimaru said. "They wear their scarred hitai-ites as proudly as if they were unscarred, and I'm sure they will wear the Otogakure plates just as much, if not more so. After all, I do not turn away any viable tool. I merely _adjust_ it to suit my needs if there are too many defects in its creation…"

Silence filled the chamber after that, neither man speaking afterwards.

[---]

"So what are we needing to know before anything else Kimimaro?" Naruto asked.

"First, Orochimaru is short on patience and has a vast amount of ways to make those that annoy him suffer," the albino said as he and Tayuya led the way down the halls. "Treating him with more respect than you would give your old leader is the best way to keep your head. Many have come, and many have left because they failed to show sufficient respect and thusly left in more than one piece."

"Next, you have to keep your damned mouth shut and ears fucking open if you don't want to piss any of the other ninja here off," Tayuya added. They made a sharp turn and down a set of stairs as she went on. "Knowing your place will keep you on decent terms with the others here, especially your teammates should you be split up after tomorrow."

"Yes, indeed," Kimimaro said. "Next, and most importantly of all at this point, is to stay out of the labs in which Kabuto or Lord Orochimaru often spend a majority of their time when not occupied otherwise by duties or necessary activites. If you are summoned to these labs, be prepared for some horrific experiences."

The redhead and albino came to an abrupt stop as the hall turned into a 'T' intersection.

"For the rest of the night, the kunoichi will join Tayuya to your left as you other two will join the rest of us to your right. Traversing the other gender's hallway after curfew is punishable by a variety of options unless posted on applicable guard duty or in case of an emergency. We will be leaving an hour before dawn to allow you the time needed to alleviate bodily functions such as use of proper facilities and the time sufficient to eat some food before proceeding to the stadium. Say your last words now, then come to us at the entrances to the respective hallways."

Kimimaro and the other two male ninja stepped off to the right hall as Tayuya stood by the hallway to the left. Sasuke nodded his head at the girls before stepping up next to Jirobo. Aisha lightly hugged Naruto and nodded back at Sasuke before taking her own spot next to Tayuya. Temari and Naruto embraced quickly with a small kiss on the lips, wordlessly saying good night before going their separate ways.

Tayuya smirked over her shoulder before turning back to the kunoichi hallway and leading her charges down it.

Kidomarou and JIrobo both gave the blonde raised eyebrows as he joined them. Jirobo was the first to speak. "You nailing the Kazekage's daughter?"

"No, not yet," Naruto responded dully. "She's actually second in line. First fiancee's back in Leaf until I can get her and her old man out of there. Temari knows the plan, and doesn't mind."

"Fucking lucky bastard…" Sasuke said, his hand moving to his scroll.

"Hey, you had your own chance at girls back at the village," Naruto shot back with closed eyes. "Not my fault, but I personally can't blame you for not taking those loudmouths."

Sasuke shivered from head to spine at the memories of Sakura and Ino fighting over him constantly. "One of the biggest pluses to leaving Konoha behind is never having to see those bitches again."

"Come you two, we should move to my quarters before too much longer," Kimimaro interrupted briefly.

The two newcomers nodded and followed their escort. Jirobo and Kidomarou silently took their leave, disappearing into their own quarters and left the three remaining shinobi to themselves in the hallway.

"The two of you may sleep where you like, just be mindful of anything that seems delicate," the albino said as he opened the doorway at the end of the hall. It revealed a large room with couches and a table in the center on a sky-blue rug, the upholstery a slightly darker blue as the furniture frames were light cedar. The walls here were just as bare as the hallways, the ceilings as well. Two doors on the opposite wall stood open, one to a large bathroom and the other to an equally large bedroom, both rooms having the same color scheme of light blue and pale yellow throughout the design.

"We may stay up for a time yet, get to know one another to a degree to lessen the tension in the atmosphere or save it for tomorrow after the fights and be resting immediately," Kimimaro said as he slipped his sandals off. He moved to the bedroom door and turned back. "I will leave the two of you to use the bathroom before we make anymore decisions, as I'm sure that both of you are needing to clean up." Without giving them a chance to speak up, the young man entered his room and shut the door firmly behind him.

Both shinobi slipped off their own sandals before moving further into the room. They looked around lazily before looking to the open bathroom door.

"Usual way?" Naruto asked, holding his fist out.

Sasuke held out his own fist and tapped it lightly to his teammate's. "Always."

Both raised their fists up and lowered them, hands still clenched vertically: "Ja!"

Again they raised and lowered their fists: "Ken!"

A third time they raised and lowered their fists, this time both ending with a different hand position: "Po!"

Sasuke's fist had extended its fore and middle finger out with the ring and little fingers still held by his thumb. Naruto's hand had remained in fist form, which then was raised in the air in victory.

"Oh yeah! Boulder beats kunai!" Naruto called.

"You fucking suck…" Sasuke remarked as he sat down on a couch. "Just hurry up…"

Naruto scurried off and closed the bathroom door. A scant moment later and Sasuke could already hear the whine of a shower line.

Sasuke unclipped his scroll and placed it on the able before him. He looked at the seal for a moment before he undid it and looked at the first section.

_The Uchiha's gift, the Sharingan, is capable of much power. Copying the molding of chakra that someone performs to learn their jutsu, memorizing their physical movements in order to predict their incoming movements, even able to see the weaknesses in illusions. _

Before Sasuke could read further into the scroll, the bathroom door opened and out stepped Naruto in a clean set of his clothes, his vest slung over his arm. "Your turn dude. I'm all done."

"Shit, you sure you even got the mud from your hair in that small amount of time?" Sasuke jabbed, rolling his scroll back up.

"Yeah yeah yeah, just get your ass in there."

Sasuke walked past him and shut the door behind him silently. Naruto took a seat on the other couch and pulled out his sealing scrolls. Rolling his vest up and placing it next to him, he focused his attention on the storage scroll. He placed a finger on the top end of it, then moved over and touched the top end of his supplies scroll.

"That explains why we didn't see either a weapon or a bag on you," Kimimaro said as he exited his room quietly. "I take it your teammate is in the bathroom now?"

"Yeah, he lost the game." Naruto sat the scrolls on their sides and looked the albino in the eyes. "So what can I expect from Tayuya tomorrow in our match? She must either be a skilled ninjutsu or genjutsu shinobi, given that she didn't even have a visible kunai or shuriken pouch."

"Very astute, Naruto." Kimimaro sat on the last couch, facing the door to the hallway. "Indeed, Tayuya is a very skilled genjutsu user. Her skills are innate, and honed by specific training regimens learned from Orochimaru. Just because she has no visible weapons does not mean you should underestimate her."

"I'm not one to underestimate the opposition; it's often that my opponent will do that for me."

"I see," Kimimaro said, leaning back. "May I ask what you yourself specialize in?"

"Honestly, I've only been an official ninja for a week, and missing since Monday. I've barely gotten a few layers of sweat soaked into my hitai-ite, and those are all from the journey from Konoha," Naruto responded as he flopped one leg over the other knee. "I actually had to take the graduation exam twice over before I finally passed, but that was only because Aisha-sensei came to tutor me. She was where I learned the body-flicker and shadow clone jutsu from, rather than killing myself with the standard clone and substitiution."

"And why was that?"

"Simple: in Aisha's own words, it was 'because I was trying to force an ocean through a straw to drown an ant' or something along those lines." Naruto laid his head back and closed his eyes. "All I really know for sure about my 'specialties' is that my chakra reserves are easily on par with a high-ranking ANBU currently."

One of the albino's pale eyebrows went high on his forehead at hearing this. "That is odd, a fourteen-year-old whose barely had any true training having almost the capacity of a kage… It would be such a shame if you somehow lost to Tayuya. Lord Orochimaru would rather not let such a powerful ninja as you go to waste."

"Tayuya's going to have to be damn strong if she's going to stand a chance against that tornado," Sasuke said as he exited the bathroom, his jacket over his arm as he brushed his hair out of his eyes. "This jackass may not look it, but he's pretty much got the force of a storm-fed river flooding its' banks. Once he opens the gates, I honestly don't know what it'd take to shut him down short of a killing blow."

"What about you Sasuke?" Kimimaro asked, his gaze switching to the Uchiha. "Are you currently able to use your bloodline limit, or are you a late bloomer?"

"For the time being, I'm not focusing on that," Sasuke replied as he sat down. He set his jacket under the table and leaned back into the cushion. "I think it's going to be more appropriate to train to rely on my own skills. From what I remember of my clan before Itachi lost his mind, everyone who had the Sharingan had some serious mental issues."

Kimimaro nodded. "Sensible. Focusing on training with something you don't even have access to yet is pointless. What would you say is your strong point in skills right now then?"

"Just like everyone in my clan, I think I've inherited our fire-affinity. Fire jutsu are easiest for me to do, and sometimes I see more than just flames with certain jutsu," Sasuke said. "What's Kidomarou capable of? Since you filled Naruto in on the redhead, only fair to give me a heads-up."

"Ha! That it is, that it is," Kimimaro admitted. "Just be wary: since you are from Konoha, you are familiar with the kikaichu of the Aburame. Kidomarou's extinct clan used to be the rival of the Aburame, utilizing a rare breed of spider. It's very unlikely he'll use his limited supply of spiders in this instance, but just be prepared for that."

"Interesting…" Sasuke scratched his chin. "Anything else?"

"I will not spoil everything for you just like I did not for Naruto, but be prepared to dodge. Kidomarou is a distance-weapon combat specialist."

Sasuke was about to ask another question, but there then came the soft snoring of his blonde teammate.

Leaning against the arm of the couch he sat on, Naruto had his arm propping his head up as his head was nodding back and forth.

"Seems he was very tired," Kimimaro commented lightly. "How long were the four of you on the road before we found you? You did get quite far into our borders before Orochimaru ordered your escort."

"We left late Monday night after an impromptu goodbye from the Hokage at the Hokage Monument. We rested a bit the next day after killing some bounty targets, and we'd just been resting up and training some after claiming the reward when you guys finally came for us."

"Hm. Interesting." The albino stood up and returned to his room, coming back out with thin blankets in his arms. "Here, let's make him a tad more comfortable. The Otokage won't be pleased with him complaining about a misaligned back from sleeping wrong during his match."

Sasuke took one of the blankets and set it next to him as Kimimaro moved to Naruto. Sasuke stood up and moved over, grabbing the blonde's feet gingerly and straightened them to the other end of the couch as the albino repositioned his upper body to be easier on his spine by placing him on his back. Laying the blanket over him lightly, both youth went about preparing themselves for bed.

"Be ready for a hard day, Sasuke," Kimimaro said from his doorway. "Life as an Oto shinobi is not fun or easy."

Sasuke flipped his own blanket over him as he laid on the couch. "The life of a shinobi shouldn't be fun or easy in any case." His eyes closed as the lights flicked off. "Laters Kimimaro."

"Night Sasuke," he heard in response before the bedroom door shut once more.

Inside the bedroom, Kimimaro got into his own bed and made himself comfortable. "Truer words have never been spoken…"

[---]

"Alright you two skanks, make yourselves at home if you want. Couches are yours for the night, and the bathroom's fully stocked with any hygene product you'll need," Tayuya said as she closed her bedroom door forcefully behind them. "I'm gonna be in my room for a while so you two can get ready. Save any questions you think of until I come back out."

Temari and Aisha merely nodded as they took in the large chamber as Tayuya moved to her bedroom door across from the hallway. The walls were magenta as the ceiling was black, mirrored by black carpet. Furniture of black oak frames and red cushions spotted the room. The open door to the bathroom revealed that, like the antechamber, the bathroom was a mix of red and black.

"Damn, I like this girl already," Temari said as she placed her fan against the back of the closest couch. "She really knows her interior design."

"While you're admiring her fashion sense," Aisha started as she moved to the bathroom, "I'm going to clean up. I won't be long."

Temari just sat down on the couch as the bathroom door closed behind the older kunoichi.

Her mind started to wander as she let her eyes unfocus, mulling over the events that had led her from the day she had gotten her first battle fan from her father, to being assigned and arriving in Konoha as the Suna emissary, to the few days in the class with Naruto, and then the even fewer days as Naruto's teammate, ending up in another village awaiting trial of entry into their ranks for safety. She had zoned out so much that she had not noticed Tayuya emerge from her bedroom in a large black shirt until she flopped down on the other end of Temari's couch.

"So how long have you and blondie been an item?" the redhead asked bluntly.

"Huh? Oh, Naruto," Temari started, her head snapping briefly. "Roughly… eight months? I've had my eye on him since I first saw him just over a year ago, when Sarutobi was escorting me through the Konoha Academy and I met that year's senior class."

"So, he really is two years behind?"

"Yeah, just because he couldn't work the clone and substitution right." Temari blushed as she added: "It was actually during last year's graduation ceremony that I knew he was the one. When he attempted to do the substitution, he messed it up, landed behind me, and I don't know if he did it on purpose or not but he actually grabbed my ass before returning to the center of the field."

"Hah! Sounds like he's the frisky kind!" the redhead said as she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. "So how far are the two of you in the path? Have you given him a blowjob yet? Has he eaten your cunt raw?"

"I fucking _wish_! He turns me on every time he touches me, I just want to toss him on the ground and just _rape_ him!" Temari said, her arms wrapping around herself. After a moment, she then let go and looked down at the table in front of the couch, a sad look on her face. "But he won't take me, not yet…"

"Why's that? The prick just using you like a trophy or something?" Tayuya asked curiously.

Temari shook her head as she leaned back against the couch. "No, it's not that.. I'm actually his second fiancée. His first is back in the Leaf, someone he essentially grew up with all his life. He won't marry me until he's gone back and rescued her and her father from that village. He's just so adamant about it, but he still holds me as close as he does her…"

"Wait, Naruto's actually going to marry _both_ of you?" the Sound kunoichi asked, puzzlement abound on her face. "But, that would mean… He doesn't plan to revive a clan, does he?"

Temari brightened at this. "Of course he does. Although he's not said _which_ clan yet, I'm sure either clan will be strong, even more so if he finds a third wife."

"I think he may already have found her, though he may not realize it yet," Aisha said as she stepped out of the bathroom, a crimson towel hanging over her shoulders as she walked into the room wearing just her black panties. She placed her obi and sheathe under the couch across from the hall door as she sat down. "Tell me Tayuya, what do you think of my cousin?"

"He doesn't seem all that strong, but his confidence is pretty fucking overwhelming. It's as if he doesn't give a fuck, it actually turns me on seeing him act so… nonchalantly towards others," Tayuya said flatly. "But no way in fuck do I want to be third in line! I don't even fucking want to get tied down to a man, let alone pop out little snot-nosed shits!"

Aisha smirked evilly at the redhead. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, you wanna make something out of it?" Tayuya rebuked hastily, grabbing a pillow immediately.

"I have a wager for you, if you're willing Tayuya." Aisha picked up her sheathe and drew her sword. "I bet that you won't be able to last even thirty minutes against Naruto tomorrow during your match."

"Big words!" the redhead exclaimed. "I bet I could wipe the floor with him in _half_ that!"

"Oh yeah?" Temari asked, a grin on her face. "I bet he gets you to say mercy, at any time within the one-hour time limit!"

With a _snap-click_, Aisha resheathed her sword and slid it back under her couch. "So it seems we've got ourselves a pool. Now we just have to put up ante."

Tayuya looked both of them in the eyes. "So who's gonna put up what?"

Temari tapped her fore finger to her cheek in contemplation as Aisha closed her eyes to think. Tayuya smirked as she spoke up first. "If I beat the shit out of him, and I _will_, I get to make him my personal bitch!"

"Then, if Naruto beats you in thirty minutes you have to say yes to him when he asks you to marry him," Aisha countered quickly. "I saw how he was eyeing you from the moment your team arrived at our campsite, and I could tell he actually _smelled_ you from a mile away."

"Bullshit!" Tayuya shot back. "No way he could have known we were coming after you losers! We're not Orochimaru's personal guard for nothing."

Temari laughed out loud, almost falling off the couch in the process. "Oh, when your match is over you'll realize Naruto is the _last_ in our group you're going to want to underestimate! I've seen him work, and he's made even ANBU hesitate!" She finally calmed downed from her fit and recomposed herself as best she could. "Anyways, here's what you have to do if Naruto manages to make you say mercy at any point in the match: you have to actually bend down on one knee and actually be the one to propose to _him_!"

Tayuya's mouth hung open at this wager. She looked blankly at the blonde as her eyes shrank. "You're shitting me, right? You can't be fucking _serious_…"

"Don't let my hair color fool you," Temari smiled darkly. "When it comes to my Ruto-kun, I _never_ joke…" She folded her arms over her chest and loked sternly at Tayuya. "Now you have to accept both of our wagers or this whole thing is off."

"She's right, either all or nothing here," Aisha said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And it seems that you're all talk and no bite, seeing how quickly you balked at our wagers."

"Yeah, what are you? A kunoichi, or a chicken?"

"Grrr FINE!" Tayuya shouted, throwing her arms up. "Fine fine FINE! If I get my ass kicked before half an hour passes, I'll accept his marriage proposal, and if the fucker manages to make me say mercy I'll.. get down on my knee… and propose… to him…" she mumbled, burying her face into her knees.

Temari reached over and patted her gently on the shoulder, a sneer on her face. "Don't worry, you won't have to do it right then and there; You won't have to propose until we bring Ayame and Teuchi here; _then_ you have to do it, in front of both Ayame and me."

Tayuya screamed into her knees and burrowed her face deeper in frustration. Aisha and Temari both laughed at her dlimmea for a few moments before calming down slowly. "Are you two quite done yet?" the redhead hissed, raising her head just a little.

"Yes, I am at least." Aisha rubbed her hair with the towel as she giggled one last time.

"So, what kind of ninja is this Jirobo like?" Temari asked, changing the subject in order to alleviate the rising killer intent from their hostess.

"That fat-ass can be tough if you get too close. He's an earth-style tub of lard, and due to his size isn't as fast as he should be. But in all, he can be more than adequate as long as he can maintain a hold of his target long enough to beat them down." Tayuya glimpsed over Temari's shoulder at the fan and smiled. "But seeing as you're a wind-adept, you won't have too much of a problem. Just stay back."

"And what of Kaguya? He seems the most controlled amongst you, meaning he's got a very powerful trump card," Aisha said.

"Pale-face is strong as fuck; he's a master swordsmen though you can't _see_ his weapons," Tayuya responded. "His clan was all but annihilated during the Bloodline War in Kiri, him being the only one to survive and escape."

Aisha's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Hidden Mist Village. "So he's _that_ Kaguya. I thought as much…"

"You've actually heard of his clan?" Temari asked quizzically.

"Of course; my family's village had close ties to Kiri, before that civil war broke out. Whirlpool and Mist were what you could call 'sister villages'. There actually very few differences between the two villages, but Whirlpool was more… restrained and calibrated."

"Thought I recognized that tattoo on your gut," Tayuya said. "I was trying to place where the hell I've seen it before."

"Don't tell Orochimaru; it's honestly nothing of great importance that he needs to know of," Aisha said. "Well, we best be getting some rest before tomorrow; it's not going to be easy fighting for an extended period of time when we've been on the run for several days."

Tayuya stood up and stretched, her long shirt just barely revealing the red panties she was wearing underneathe. "Alright bitches, I'll wake you up before we need to go get breakfast. It's gonna be about an hour before daybreak, so don't stay up too late masturbating."

"Oh, that's one thing you'll need to learn to restrain yourself from doing," Temari said as she slid her skirt down. "Naruto's gotten the idea that the wedding night's going to be so much better if we refuse to succumb to our carnal needs. After that, it's all up for grabs."

"I'm getting the fuck out of here before I hear any more of these fucking jokes…" Tayuya hissed before slamming her bedroom door shut.

Aisha unfurled her obi into what turned out to be a large blanket and laid down on the couch. "Are you serious about Naruto asking you and Ayame to not finger yourselves until the wedding night?" she asked as she made herself comfortable.

Temari curled up on her couch and laid her skirt over herself as she nodded. "To an extent. He's asked that we only do it once every few days." She adjusted her small pillow and closed her eyes. "Though I have to admit, it _is_ more orgasmic when you save it up."

"Whatever gets you by, Mari-chan…" Aisha said through a yawn. "Night…"

"Night sensei…" Temari responded lazily.

Both kunoichi were out cold within moments, and not a moment too soon. A strange sound resounded from the bedroom door, just loud enough that it would have caught their attention. On the other side of that door was…

"Oooooh, ohhhhhh!" the redhead hissed, her right hand buried in her red panties as her left was cupping her right breast and tightly pinching her nipple. Her submerged fingers were moving rapidly in and out of her ppussy, the fabric of her underwear soaked long ago from her endeavors.

Minutes passed as she worked her fingers to the bone, her pleasure ebbing and flowing with her thoughts. Time passed slowly for her until she finally sank three digits in deep, causing her to go over the edge and gush her juices over her fingers and all the fabric they could reach. She brought her fingers up to her nose, sniffing the sticky substance once before sucking each finger off, then reaching back down between her legs and wiping up some more of her cum. She repeated this wipe-and-lick routine until all that remained was the juices soaked into her panties and underlying bedsheets and the faint feel of rough dry spots on either side of her thighs from where she had furiously sought to recover the 'fruits' of her labor. Turning over onto her side and curling up, she shivered slightly and brought the covers over her head, mumbling something underneathe that not even she was able to make out.

But if you had listened closely enough, you may have been able to make out her saying: "Damn blondie…"

[---]

"Morning…"

"Morning!"

"Hn."

"Mhm."

"Morning."

"Morning."

"…"

"(yawn) Morning…"

The eight assorted shinobi entered the cafeteria as the staff were just starting to set out the food, each of them barely awake and making their initial morning greetings in their own ways. The four newcomers ignored the looks they were getting from the Oto ninja already waiting in line, not caring about the various moods already floating in the air about the matches happening soon. Tayuya and Kimimaro took the spots in line before them with Kidomarou and Jirobo bringing up the rear.

The line breezed through the food stations rather briskly, each of them grabbing whatever caught their eye. Minutes later, they all had seats at a secluded table, quietly eating before having to report to the stadium.

Aisha and Temari sat on either side of Naruto, Sasuke taking the spot opposite him. Tayuya finished off that side of the table next to Temari with Jiroubou across from her. Kidomarou between him and Sasuke as Kimimaro sat across from Aisha.

None of them truly cared about making small talk, more interested in their own thoughts revolving around what was going to happen soon.

Kimimaro was the first to stand, the others following his lead and leaving their empty trays for the kitchen staff to take care of as they departed in more silence. The walk from the cafeteria to the gate of the stadium was uneventful aside from the murmurs and whispers spreading around them as they drew closer. Much of what they were hearing was mostly either speculation of how they looked in comparison to Orochimaru's personal guard, how hot the two new chicks were, or how mysterious Sasuke was or how unruly Naruto appeared. None of them much cared, only focusing on their objective for survival beyond the day as they reached the gates, the four Oto veterans stood in front of it, Kimimaro speaking up. "From here on, we are opponents. We will walk in, double file. We will pair up as matched. I will take the lead with Aisha at my right, then Kidomarou and Sasuke behind us with Jirobo and Temari after that, and Tayuya and Naruto bring up the last match. Lord Orochimaru sent a message that this was the lineup, so it shall be as thus. During the matches, those not actively participating will take a position at one of the three pillars supporting the walls of the stadium, which are three on each side of us as we enter. The contenders who just concluded their match will take the spots of those going next, and after the victor of the fourth match is determined we will all move to the center as the Otokage comes down from his viewing platform across from the gate we stand in front of. Any questions? If not, then let us go in."

The four Konoha defectors shook their heads, each of them steeling themselves for the awaiting combat and the only chance at entering the only village that could provide them sanctuary.

Two guards opened the large gate into the stadium, allowing the eight contenders to pass through before shutting it firmly. They traversed the sandy terrain of the battle field as they could hear the first cheers and jeers of the growing crowds echo throughout the structure.

They all stopped in the center of the arena and faced the silent and regal figure of Orochimaru as he waited for the crowds to calm. He cleared his throat as the roars died down and started speaking clearly and with command.

"Citizens and shinobi of Otogakure, rejoice! We are here this morning to witness the trials of these four outsider ninja, each of them seeking entrance into our ranks! They are here before us to put themselves to the test and find out if they are worthy of serving us in our quest for equality and recognition amongst the older villages!"

"All four of these shinobi bear the scarred hitai-ite plate of Konohagakure, my former home! One of them was forsaken, and in turn, the rest of his squad rejected that village, even his sensei, and joined him in leaving rather than stand by idly and watch him be unjustifiably condemned!"

The amassed crowds roared together, their collective cheering ringing out in the stadium.

"But as we all know, it takes more than pure heart to earn the hitai-ite of this village, it takes strength of body and will, mind and soul! As such, these four ninja shall face my personal guard, in four separate one-on-one matches! The rules are simple: no killing, stop when Kabuto orders it! Any and all items brought in on their person is allowed, no outside interference from their comrades or the rest of us!"

Again the crowd roared out.

"The winner will be the shinobi who spills their opponent's blood first, gets them to at any point say mercy, or if the match lasts for a full hour, the challenger shall be awarded the win!"

Orochimaru turned around and sat down in his modern stone chair, Sakon standing to his left and behind as Kabuto stepped forward and jumped into the arena. He smirked as he righted himself, his hand subconsciously adjusting his glasses.

"First round, challenger Aisha of Spreyga against Kaguya Kimimaro!" he roared out.

"Uncalled contenders, to your pillars!" Without a word the other six shinobi took to the supporting pillars surrounding the stadium floor.

Aisha and Kimimaro faced one another as their respective teammates exited the vicinity. Aisha pulled the sheathe of her sword out of her obi and wasted no time in drawing it, tossing the sheathe to Naruto. He firmly caught the spinning casing with one hand and standing it upright before him, using it as a lean-on. The ebon woman in turn hefted her sword into a one-handed ready position over her shoulder, Kimimaro eyeing her carefully while slipping into a stance she immediately recognized.

Kabuto looked around and eyed both first round combantants. With his right arm, he lowered it out in front of him slowly, and with a whip-like motion raised it. "BEGIN!"

[---]

**Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm still working on getting my own place, but with the cost of living being ridiculously outrageous especially when compared to my income, that's easier said than done. **

**And it doesn't help that my mom refuses to allow me to in any way, shape, or form get us our own internet connection because she's afraid of losing my dad to the internet, and my dad refuses to all ends of the world on getting either cable or satellite TV. So, if I've made any huge mistakes (especially with where Nibi is, though if I got that wrong in this fic I can easily turn it to my advantage in a later chapter), then please let me know and I'll be sure to make the correction when I go through the finished form of this fic and condense it down for those that want their own special copies.**

**For the next four chapters, gonna be straight-forward, just like I did with the separate genin evaluation tests after the graduation exams in my fic **_**Beyond the Darkness of Fate**_**. Each chapter focuses on a different match in the order I posted earlier, just to make it easier on those of you who may not like having to read huge long chapters.**

**Anyways, see you guys next time! And don't forget to leave out that bowl of reviews on the backdoor stoop for your stray authors! We're always on the lookout for food!**


	7. Fight!

(Prinnies are seen filing the entire theater with various banners of different colors, air horns being blown and cheers ringing out amongst them)

**Hello everyone, and be ready for the first of the four-chapter mini-saga of Team Enigma's entrance trials against four of Orochimaru's Sound Five. First up is Aisha Uzumaki versus Kimimaro! Hope you guys enjoy it!**

(Prinnies run by with a large banner, other smaller ones attached to it, reading

We hope you doods enjoy this chapter! If not, then don't tell Crimsora or else we're gonna get detonated!!!

[---]

"BEGIN!"

Kabuto jumped back out of the arena and back up to the Otokage's box, the two combatants looking fiercely at each other.

"I should have recognized your name sooner, Kimimaro," Aisha said, her sword still held over her shoulder. "I learned quite a bit about all the clans of Kiri before they were eradicated, Most prominent of Kiri was the Kaguya, the clan capable of turning their very bones into anything they wanted. They brought new meaning to the phrase 'a ninja is merely a living weapon'."

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes as he slid one shoulder of his robe down. "It seems you then have me at a disadvantage, Aisha. Since you know my kekkei genkai already, and seem quite a master of swords yourself," he said, placing his right hand over his left shoulder, "I won't hesitate in using it in this evaluation!"

Just as he finished speaking, a bone immediately shot out of his shoulder which he firmly gripped with his right hand. He pulled it away, and in his hand now sat the handle of a katana formed from his own bone. He poised it parallel to the ground above his shoulder as he lowered his center of gravity. "Ladies first," the albino said, anticipation in his eyes.

"I didn't want you to go easy on me to begin with!" Aisha called back as she dropped her sword arm low to the ground and charged in. She swung her weapon up as she came within range, the blow intended to cleave a large chunk out of Kimimaro's anterior ribcage from his left-hand floating ribs to his right clavicle but was deflected to just barely graze his legs. Kimimaro followed up his block with a backhanded mirror-slash.

Aisha did a counterclockwise back-twirl and swung her sword up in the process, leveling it out at his shoulder. The albino leaned back onto his left hand under the sweeping blade, doing a handstand onto said hand as Aisha's sword switched from a fore-hand to a back-hand grip as the momentum was redirected into a downward thrust into the position Kimimaro had just vacated.

As the tip of her sword sunk deep into the floor of the stadium, Kimimaro let his legs fall backwards. Unfortunately, the kunoichi had anticipated this move and drove a chakra-covered left hand onto the pommel of her sword, the chakra sinking through the weapon and into the earth. Next thing everyone sees, Kimimaro is standing upright with a very pointed protrusion of earth a mere inch from impaling him in the groin.

A hush fell over the crowd as all action within the stadium ceased at this point. All the women seeing this were inwardly cheering and rooting Aisha on as all the men were cowering in fear and hoping she wouldn't continue.

Naruto and the others were waiting patiently at their pillars to see what happened next, Kimimaro's teammates looking on dumbfounded. They had never seen someone perform like this against Kimimaro, not even Orochimaru had managed to trap him as precariously as this so quickly.

Kabuto looked dumbly at Orochimaru and Sakon, the young ninja obviously shocked by the fact that his lips themselves had paled. The leader of Oto in turn was surprised himself, having never seen anything occur so quickly and with such precision.

Aisha kept her hands in place as she looked emotionlessly at her opponent. Kimimaro in turn was returning her gaze just the same as he held his position precisely over the spike, careful to not lower himself down or else ending his clan quite painfully.

Everyone in the stands were now holding their breath, the anticipation and anxiety of the match pulling their minds to the edge as they waited to see what happened next.

_Clang!_

The jaws of all the people in the bandstands dropped when Kimimaro's sword hit the ground, his teammate's eyes widening with shrinking pupils as it rang out in the utter silence. Those on the platform were speechless when they saw Kimimaro drop his sword, his hands raised up in defeat.

"Mercy, you pass the trial Aisha."

The dark-skinned woman eased her left hand off the pommel, the spike of earth vanishing back into the arena floor. Gripping her sword backhandedly, she yanked it out cleanly and replaced it onto her right shoulder, her gaze never breaking contact with her opponent's.

Orochimaru finally nodded at Kabuto. "Call it; she forced him to call mercy, thus succeeding in her trial."

The silver-head nodded briefly before jumping back into the center of the arena. "Winner, Aisha of Spreyga!"

Aisha caught the incoming sheathe Naruto threw back to her as Kimimaro picked his sword up. Both contenders bowed to each other in respect as they sheathed their weapons, Aisha's zanbatou to her scabbard as Kimimaro slid his bone-katana back into his shoulder. "Will Kidomarou and Uchiha Sasuke please come to the center for their fight!" Kabuto called out next.

Kimimaro moved past his bandanna-wearing teammate without a word as Kidomarou focused his eyes on Sasuke who just nodded his head at something Aisha whispered while moving to Sasuke's pillar.

The two next contenders stood twenty feet apart from each other as Kabuto gauged them. With a nod from each, he repeated the movements to initiate the fight. "BEGIN!"

[---]

**I know that was a short chapter my loyal peeps, but I've got plans in store for the future that would get ruined if Aisha were to go full-blast against Kimimaro. Besides, I'm not about to have her blow all her tricks in front of everyone, especially not Orochimaru, before she's even a shinobi of Oto!**

**Next time in **_**Noodles & Ninja Wire**_**, be prepared for Sasuke's first real fight of the fic!**


	8. Is it just His Eyes or is He Seeing Red?

(Prinnies are seen with gaping expressions, some dropping their 'Kimimaro' banners in shock)

**Alright folks, gonna cut the chit-chat and get right to Sasuke's big fight! Here we go!**

(The prinnies are still too shocked to run past with the normal banner)

[---]

"BEGIN!"

Kabuto jumped back up to the platform where Orochimaru sat, Sakon still looking dumbfounded from Kimimaro having been caught in a matter of two minutes.

Aisha reached the pillar Sasuke had occupied and set her sword next to her as she leaned against it, arms folding against her chest.

'**Impressive; the fight was over much quicker than I expected it to be…**' Tsukasa lazily said.

'_I don't really care at the moment for being flashy and sloppy; given the circumstances of the situation, it's best to be blunt and precise._'

'**Hah! Sometimes I swear you're really a demon merely possessing a human…**'

Aisha mentally laughed. '_I have to take that as a compliment, coming from the lord of dragon-demons._'

"**You earned it, and I don't think it's close to being the last if things continue to progress at this rate…**'

Demon and vessel let the silence grow as Sasuke and Kidomarou broke their statue routines.

Sasuke charged in with a freshly drawn kunai, barely giving his opponent a chance to dodge the first jab. Kidomarou stepped back with his left foot and grabbed Sasuke's right wrist with his left hand, chopping down on his elbow with his right forearm. Sasuke grunted with pain as he then found Kidomarou's right elbow being swung up and into his jaw, his wrist being released and his body flying a couple feet back.

The larger Oto shinobi didn't give Sasuke time to recover, following up the elbow jam with a three-set of hand signs, causing him to spit out a stream of something at his opponent. The stream landed on Sasuke's scarred hitai-ite plate, and then Sasuke found himself flying in circles as Kidomarou had broken the stream off and was now using it as an tether to swing him like a rag doll. A moment later and Sasuke was sent flying towards the wall where the other Oto ninja were waiting.

Just in time, the Uchiha flipped around and applied chakra to his feet. A rather disastrous impact with the wall was then turned into a uncomfortable collision as his feet stuck firmly. But his relief was shortlived as Sasuke then had to jump away in order to avoid a barrage of strange objects that quickly embedded the place he had just been.

Kidomarou cursed under his breath as he readied more of his projectiles. '_Crap, he's faster than I expected. This isn't going to be easy if he gets back in close range…_' he thought furiously, readying and throwing his weapons at the fast approaching Sasuke.

'_That stuff must be a clan technique; Kimimaro said this guy was similar to Shino, so that must have been like spider webbing. I can't-_'

He was cut off in mid-thought when Kidomarou surprised him with a net crafted from the material he spat out.

"Shit!" he called out, the webbing wrapped itself around his legs, effectively stopping him in his tracks as he flopped to the ground roughly.

"Don't think you can use your kunai to cut my webbing, Sasuke," Kidomarou called out from the center of the arena. "This stuff is infused with my own chakra, making it almost impervious to any metal cutting tool!"

Sasuke struggled against the firm grip the material had on him. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get his legs more than a finger's width apart. '_Good thing he only got my legs!_' he thought to himself, running through rapid hand signs. Bring his right hand up to his mouth with the tips of his fore finger and thumb barely apart and his other fingers fanned out, he took a deep breath and in response blew out a thin stream of flame aimed carefully at the webbing strands.

"Don't expect your puny flame jutsu to work either!" Kidomarou called, producing more webbing and fashioning it into a rope. "I've managed to get my chakra-webbing to withstand the hottest fires anyone can make, so you better just give up and become one of Lord Orochimaru's guinea pigs!"

"I won't be beaten that easily!" Sasuke responded. He thought as fast as he could as his opponent came at him with the rope twirling rapidly. '_Think! If my fire jutsu won't work, and weapons can't cut it, what _can_ I do to get rid of it?_'

The Oto ninja came within thirty feet of Sasuke, his rope twirling fast as he started to move it over his head. With one last swing, he launched the lopped end of it and got it around Sasuke's neck. "Gotcha!" Kidomarou roared, yanking on the cord causing it to snap the slack back and tighten the loop into an almost noose-like hold.

Sasuke frantically grasped at the rope around his neck in an attempt to break it, then found himself being dragged backwards.

"Come to Papa!" his opponent shouted while reeling him in like a prize fish at the pond. When Sasuke was within five feet of him, Kidomarou took firm hold of the rope with both hands and started to pull harder, then began pulling him to the side.

Before he knew it, Sasuke saw the scenery in front of his eyes start to spin like hell. Kidomarou had gotten the momentum started and was now swinging him around like a hammer, letting more and more of the slack go with each rotation.

'_Can't… breathe… must find… escape…_' he thought quickly. He judged the speed he was swinging at as best he could, despite feeling the blood beginning to rush to his feet. As he noticed the speed increasing, his mind came to one conclusion: take a risk and attempt one of the jutsu he had glimpsed in the clan scroll during their two day rest before being escorted to the village.

Acting fast before he lost consciousness, Sasuke let go of the limited grasp he had on the noose and hastily ran through the hand signs he remembered listed on the section of the scroll. '_Chakra… scalpel!_' he mentally screamed. He couldn't see it but he could feel the chakra concentrate through his fingers into a finite sharpened edge, extending from his fingertips just slightly.

Kidomarou was quite surprised to find himself falling on his ass and rolling over several times as Sasuke sliced through the rope, releasing him from the binding that was about to make him lose the trial match. He noticed the incoming wall just quick enough for him to release the small chakra blade he'd created on his right hand and then used his hands to avert being smashed into the wall by pushing off from a direct impact and rolling down to the ground.

"Wha-what the hell did you just do?" Kidomarou asked as he stood up shakily. "No one's ever cut through my chakra-webbing!"

Sasuke reactivated the chakra scalpel and freed his legs from the net from earlier, wasting no time in getting to his feet. "You've never gone up against someone who would have thought to use a simple medic tool against you then."

"Medic tool?" Kidomarou shouted.

"The chakra scalpel; channels your chakra to form a very sharp blade not far past your fingertips, able to slice through anything. Even able to slice through metal if enough focused chakra is used."

"Don't think that just because you found a way to counter my webbing," his opponent said, his hands flying through a long series of signs, "that I'm going to give up!" His hands stopped on what appeared to be the last sign. Releasing the sign, Kidomarou opened his mouth wide and let a huge amount of webbing pour out into his awaiting hands.

Sasuke watched in morbid curiosity as he watched the Oto ninja take the large lump he just regurgitated and mold it into what turned into a bow, a thin string forming from the ends as it was raised and aimed precisely at his chest. '_Shit, this guy's good! Gotta get in close, so here's to hoping he can't do-_'

The last Uchiha was cut off again as Kidomarou started to take dribbles of webbing and notch them at the nook of the bow, pulling back and hardening the string into an arrow, quickly pulling the bowstring back and letting the arrow go. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he _could_ fire them off at a highly accelerated rate and was damn accurate.

"Shit shit shit Shit Shit SHIT SHIT!" Sasuke called out as he started running and dodging the incessant volleys of arrows. "Too little time for me to use the chakra scalpel, even less time for me to try a fire jutsu even though they're already proven useless! What am I going to do?" he asked himself as an arrow almost nailed him in the heel of his left foot.

"Run you little punk!" Kidomarou shouted, aiming a bulky arrow and letting it fly. '_Hope you enjoy this one!_' he thought, a quick hand sign with his notching hand and a surge of chakra pulsed through that last arrow.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched the large bulky arrow turn into dozens of smaller and more finite needles, all zooming at him. Then he suddenly noticed them start to slow down just a bit, which was barely enough for him to move out of the path of most of them. A few of the needles embedded themselves into his left arm as the rest sank into the ground he just vacated.

Kidomarou didn't waste any time by talking, instead opting to fire more of the bulky arrows at Sasuke in hopes that he would soon nail him down and get a chance to end the match. '_Time's almost half up, I gotta finish this soon or else I'm not gonna have enough chakra to go on like this!_'

'_Is it just me or is he getting slower?_' Sasuke asked himself. He was now seeing them slow down quicker, almost enough that he could see them before they broke up into the smaller needles. '_I'm starting to see them so clearly, I'm almost able to plot their trajectory…_'

The audience was going absolutely nuts at how things were turning back and forth between the two contenders. The inactive contenders were watching with mixed feelings at the display. Even Orochimaru and the other two with him on the platform were captivated by the trial.

Naruto was the first to notice something going on with Sasuke, and he got Temari and Aisha's attention with a whistle. They both looked at him and noted him tapping his eyes with his fore and middle finger then pointing to Sasuke. Puzzled, they both returned their gaze to the center of the arena in hopes to see what their comrade was meaning.

Kimimaro noticed the brief exchange between Naruto and his teammates, and looked hard at Sasuke as well. He made similar gestures to Jirobo and Tayuya, both of whom followed suit and waited to see what was being hinted at.

Kidomarou was growing more and more frustrated at Sasuke as he kept dodging the arrow-needles, and was now starting to close the distance between them with each payload missed. '_What the fuck is going on here!? He shouldn't be getting this fast all of a sudden!_'

'_Almost there, just a few more shots and I should be able to make him drop back…_' Sasuke thought to himself as he evaded yet another arrow and moved in to be just ten feet away. '_One more and he's mine!_'

Kidomarou had gotten so wrapped up in his railroading arrows that he failed to notice exactly how close Sasuke was now. It wasn't until Sasuke had appeared right in his face with a pair of kunai aimed at his throat instantly after he released the last loaded arrow that realization hit him.

Orochimaru rose to his feet and began clapping emphatically at the match, Sakon and Kabuto stunned yet again at the skills they had just witnessed. '_Very good Sasuke, you've proven you truly _are_ an Uchiha…_' "Kabuto, go ahead and call it. We need to keep things moving forward."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru…" the lackey said dumbly. He jumped quickly to the floor and lowered Sasuke's arms. "Winner, Uchiha Sasuke!"

At this the crowds genuinely went ballistic with applause. Sasuke flipped his kunai back into his sleeves and returned the bow that Kidomarou initiated after dissipating his bow, both contenders moving to their respective teams.

"Third round trial match, Subaku no Temari versus Jiroubou! Contenders, move forward and prepare!" Kabuto called out.

Jirobo wasted no time and began to jog forward, returning the nod from his teammate as they passed each other.

Temari blew a kiss to Naruto as she hefted her fan over her shoulder and moved out, nodding once at Sasuke as he moved to the pillar she'd been stand against. He then nodded at both of his other teammates, Naruto responding with a thumbs-up as Aisha inclined her own head slightly.

At the center, Temari stopped and stood her fan upright in front of her as Jiroubou took a stand ten feet from her. Kabuto eyed them both and performed the motions, giving the command. "BEGIN!"

[---]

**Wooo, now wasn't that a much better fight? Hope you guys liked it, and hope you enjoy the next round!**


	9. Run Little Piggy!

(The gathered prinnies are cheering their heads off from the last trial match)

**Straight to the fight we go folks! Sasuke's fight was longer than Aisha's but not as long as some of you wanted, I know before any of you can even have read it. But fear not, for I made up for it!**

**And on we go!**

(A group of prinnies hold up signs in the theater seating reading:)

Welcome to the show, and now enjoy the third match doods!

[---]

"BEGIN!"

Kabuto proceeded to vacate the arena floor, leaving the two fresh combatants to their actions.

"I'm not going to go easy, just because you're the daughter of the Kazekage!" Jiroubou roared as his hands performed a small series of hand signs. His face scrunched in concentration as the dirt around him began to swirl and rise.

"I don't care for leniency! I came here for a fair fight, no special treatment!" Temari shot back, whipping her fan open with the flick of her wrist.

"No worries then! Earth style: Storming Shrapnel Jutsu!" Jiroubou replied. The swirling soil around him stiffened abruptly before shooting jagged pieces of rock towards Temari.

The kunoichi lowered her head behind the shelter of her opened fan as the projectiles started flying into and over her. She held the fan tightly as she attempted to look past it, having to duck back behind it to avoid being impaled in the face by the attack. '_Damn, he's quick to piss off…_' she thought as she pulled out her two smaller fans and flicked them open.

Jiroubou released his attack and watched his opponent remain behind the cover. His impatience grew greater and greater as Temari didn't come out of hiding.

He finally lost control after a few more moments of an inactive opponent, causing him to move forward. "You better face me like a true shinobi!" he called.

Next thing Jiroubou knew, two disc-like objects flew from behind the fan and flew right past him.

"Hah! Is that the best-"

He was cut off in mid-sentence as the two objects came back and nailed him in the elbows.

"Gah!" he cried out, thin sprays of blood spurting out from where the discs had sliced him. He looked up from the ground stained with his own blood to see Temari's hand reach from behind her battle-fan and catch the two objects, now revealed to be smaller fans he hadn't known she had. He grit his teeth in pain as he covered the injuries with his hands. "Fucking bitch…"

"Don't be so impudent as to recklessly charge into a fight, especially against an unknown opponent," Temari called out as she stood up and widened the position of her larger fan. "If you don't get those looked at soon, those incisions are going to do some pretty brutal damage that will take quite a while to recover."

Jiroubou grit his teeth harder as he looked at the cuts more closely. The injuries were matching, each barely thicker than a piece of paper and moving in over an inch into the muscle mass above his elbows. "No, I've got a job to do, and I'm not going to let a couple of mere scratches like these get in my way!" he called out.

Temari put her small fans away and hefted up her large fan, bring it back down and causing a giant gust. The dust kicked up as a result of the blast made a huge problem for the portly Oto ninja in keeping track of her as the cloud was large and almost impossible to see any light through. As the dust finally resettled on the ground again, his eyes searched frantically for his opponent. If he hadn't been looking around, he would have completely missed the small fans coming from out of nowhere at him once again. Luckily for him, he had enough time and speed to barely miss them as they zoomed past his thighs. "Show yourself!"

"You should learn to look beyond what's _around_ you and more what's _above_ you!" came the kunoichi's response.

He instantly looked up, and looked on bitterly to see Temari's head poking out over the edge of her battle-fan as she was leaning over from her standing position on it, high above the floor riding the wind gusts she had created to run throughout the stadium's drafty lofts. "Get down here and fight me like a real shinobi! You're only stalling the inevitable by staying up there!"

Temari's fan glided to one of the lower currents as it began cruising around Jirobo's position below. "That's the beauty of being a wind-adept! I can stay as close or as far as I want and still do the same damage to my opponent! Wind style: Hurricane Blades Jutsu!"

Jiroubou's eyes shrank as the wind started to kick up such speed that the particles in the currents were actually creating visible tails as they started to form into a funnel. He started to run as he just barely noticed his opponent's smaller fans gaining speed in the currents, moving so fast he lost track of them a moment later.

'_FuckfuckshitFUCK!_' he roared mentally, running as fast as he could. His arms were hurting severely from the first two incisions she had made, and now he was not wanting to know what would happen if this attack landed even a single blade on him.

Temari watched with sadistic glee as her opponent ran around the huge arena to avoid her jutsu. She was thankful she had spied on her brother's first few lessons on puppetry, now that she could control some of her most powerful jutsu through the chakra string technique Suna puppetmasters prided themselves. She wiggled her left little finger, and the tornado picked up speed in it's pursuit.

Her opponent was now sweating profusely as he was having to delve deeper into his chakra reserves to preserve his life rather than let Temari's attack hit him. It didn't help that she was somehow making it catch up with him every time he thought he was going to put some distance between them. The pain in his injuries wasn't helping one bit, now that they were destroying the limited healing processes that had just barely started, ripping further into the undamaged muscle tissue, and his blood was pouring out and mixing with the sweat pouring down his arms. He just wanted to scream out in pain as the salty liquid ran in and around and over his wounds, burning away at the raw unprotected muscle inside.

Temari could see her opponent's fatigue starting to get the better of him as his speed dropped minutely while the hurricane following him was still going strong. '_Time to end this._' "Wind style: Claws of the Desert Jutsu!" she called out. Her hands flew through a series of signs and caused the hurricane to stop, which then released not two but two _dozen_ fans that sped directly and immediately towards Jiroubou.

The Oto ninja roared in pain as the weapons made contact with him, only a few missing him at all. He fell to his knees as the fans flew away, all except for two of them fading into dust as Temari's large fan glided down. Blood started spraying in streams from the numerous incisions all across his arms, his eyes widening as he fell face-first to the ground.

The kunoichi caught her fans and put them away, then grasping her battle-fan as it passed by and snappe it shut with a _crack_. "Never underestimate the unknown, one of the only things that my father ever said that I took to heart."

The audience was going positively insane with the conclusion of the fight. Everyone was cheering their heads off as Kabuto jumped down and promptly began cleaning and closing the larger ninja's wounds. As soon as he sealed the last one, he stood up over Jirobo's form and raised the arm closest to Temari. "Winner, Subaku no Temari!"

Kimimaro appeared next to Kabuto and knelt down, gingerly picking up the large body of his teammate and then returning to the pillars. '_These shinobi are both interesting and powerful. I imagine Orochimaru is losing his mind at their performances thus far, his excitement brimming over behind that subtle smile he gives. I don't want to imagine what he may do to these four though…__'_

Temari bowed briefly before hefting her fan back over her shoulder and returning to her teammates. '_That was ridiculously easy…_'

"Final trial match, Uzumaki Naruto versus Tayuya! Contenders, come forward!" Kabuto called out.

Tayuya spat to the ground as Kimimaro placed Jiroubou's unconscious body at her pillar, neither of them looking at each other as she departed for her own turn to fight. '_This match is going to be over in a snap!_' she thought triumphantly to herself.

Naruto patted Temari on the shoulder gently as they passed each other, getting a pinch to his left ass cheek in return. '_Good luck, Ruto-kun…_'

'_Damn, she just _had_ to go make me horny…_' the teenage blonde sighed depressedly.

Both of the last round's combatants took their places not ten feet from each other as Kabuto glimpsed at them both briefly. He nodded to himself before readjusting his glasses, and giving the customary arm gesture. "BEGIN!"

[---]

**Oh yeah! Temari's fight is now over, and we finally get on with Naruto's first encounter with Tayuya! Join us next time as Naruto faces his first true fight as a shinobi, against one of the most determined characters in the Narutoverse!**


	10. Finish Her!

(Several prinnies are now wearing wigs designed after certain _Naruto_ characters' hairstyles, the current popular style being Temari's four pigtails)

**And now for the moment you've all been waiting for! I am proud to present the fighting debut of my latest version of 'certified-ninja Naruto'!**

(Prinnies hold up various signs, some blonde wig-wearing ones with 'KICK HER ASS!' and others wearing long redhead-wigs holding signs of 'CUT OFF HIS BALLS!' as a single prinny holds up a giant sign reading:)

_**FIGHT!!!**_

[---]

"BEGIN!"

Kabuto cleared himself from the stadium floor before he even finished his ommand. Upon landing, Sakon came over and pointed at Naruto. "Ten grand says he does something stupid and she neuters him."

Kabuto smirked as he pointed at Tayuya. "Fifteen says she messes up and does something that compromises her dignity and shows the rest of us her 'naughty-bits'," he countered, holding his right hand out slightly.

"You're on!" Sakon said firmly, grasping and shaking the outstretched hand once.

Both of them failed to notice the broad smirk on Orochimaru's face as he crossed one leg over the opposite knee and folded his hands in the lap of his black and grey Otokage robes. '_This should prove to be the most spectacular match of the four, with Naruto-kun having that delicious demon sealed in his belly and supplying him with nearly unlimited chakra. I just hope Tayuya doesn't go overboard._'

Temari and Aisha kept their eyes glued to the pair in the center of the arena as they ran over the wagers they'd made the night before. Sasuke merely kept his eyes focused on Naruto, straining to keep his eyes open as he was now developing a headache for some reason.

Kidomarou and Kimimaro were both watching with placid fascination as Tayuya pulled something from within her grey tunic and held it out in front of her. They looked at one another, conversing wordlessly as they both knew things were going to be over fast if she pulled her flute out already.

"Hope you like music, you little maggot! I'm gonna play you a little melody to put you to sleep and end this fast!" she called out. Her hands hoisted the instrument up to her lips and her fingers began rolling over the holes precisely as she breathed through the flute.

'**Oh this is going to be intense, schnooky-bear!**' Daki called mentally. '**Even without you having enhanced hearing, that music is piercing through the seal and affecting me. I won't be of much use to you as long as she's able to maintain that song!**'

Naruto could sense the pain she was feeling through their bond. '_Just means I need to silence her then!_' he thought back.

'_Heh, good. He can't take it! As long as I can keep him subdued, I won't have any problems dealing with him._' Tayuya looked sternly at her opponent in hopes of seeing her music driving him to one knee, only to find him rummaging through his pockets. '_What is that idiot doing? He should be in fucking pain by now, and yet he's still standing! Time to put some umpf into it!_' The tune Tayuya was playing went from a slow mesmerizing melody to a shrill and fast-paced diddy, her fingers flying rapidly over the different holes.

'_C'mon, I gotta have something!'_ he thought, madly searching each and every pocket. He finally came across something in the left-hand ass pocket of his pants which he instantly took out and ripped in two. He stuff each half into an ear before sighing in relief. Packing each wad of tissue deeper into his ear, he finally was able to move freely, the only thing he could hear was the faintest of shrill notes penetrating the barricades of thin paper.

'**Thanks so much Kit! Now I don't hear much, only a slight buzzing!**' Daki called cheerfully. '**So, how do you want to go about doing this? Want me to call Sandralia out again, or do you want to use the fox-fists? She **_**is**_** a genjutsu specialist after all…**' the demon lord asked, a hint of mischief apparent in her words.

'_I've got an idea… Besides, if I pull out every trick I've got now, then how am I going to continue to surprise people later on?_' Naruto called back before seeing Tayuya stomp her foot in anger and flip him off.

"Fucking blonde tree-rat! Why aren't you on your knees begging for mercy yet!" the redhead screamed. "I was going to be merciful and let you come out of this with _some_ dignity, but if all you're going to do is ignore me, then I've got no other choice!"

Naruto watched curiously as she gripped her flute between curled lips and performed a long series of hand signs and slamming her palm onto the arena floor.

"Summoning Jutsu!" rang throughout the stadium as a very large cloud of smoke appeared behind the redhead. She righted herself and brought her flute back to her lips just as the smoke cleared and revealed a large monster wrapped in bandages from head to waist. "My doki's been wanting to play, he's been very restless since my last mission. Hopefully you'll provide him with at least some exercise before you pass out from the pain!" Tayuya exclaimed before bringing her flute back to her mouth. Her new melody sparked the summoned creature's attention and it began to advance slowly on Naruto.

'_Interesting jutsu, wonder what else you can bring out?_' he thought to himself. He moved out of the way as the creature jumped up and moved to attempt and body-slam him into the floor.

Naruto watched debris rise into the air briefly upon the new contender's landing. "Whoa, looks like someone needs to put Tubsy-Ubsy on a diet before he gets too much bigger!" he called out. Although he wasn't able to actually hear her response, Naruto could easily tell that Tayuya was fuming as she started flailing her arms and stomping her feet at him, which he noticed somehow effectively ceased the summons to stay where it was. '_Interesting…_'

"You pathetic excuse for a shinobi! I'm going to make you fucking pay for belittling my doki!" Tayuya once again brought her flute back up and began with a new song, this time the doki didn't move from it's spot. Instead, it opened its unruly maw, ushering forth a strange-looking ethereal worm with more mouths similar to the one it crawled out of.

"That's one hell of a loogie you just made it upchuck!" Naruto called back as he landed a good fifty feet from where he had started the fight at. "C'mon, you have to be able to do more than this! You're supposed to be wiping the floor with me right? Then get off your ass and do it yourself!" he challenged.

That was the straw that broke Tayuya's back.

Tayuya immediately dropped her flute at hearing this coming from the little blonde shit standing far from her. As her metal instrument hit the ground, her control over her summon was snapped like a twig and the doki vanished in a puff of smoke.

The entirety of the crowd gasped. Tayuya's teammates couldn't believe their ill-tempered kunoichi comrade lost her cool so soon. Naruto's teammates were astounded he had gotten under her skin this soon. Both Kabuto and Sakon would have fallen to the platform on their knees if it weren't for the fact that their supreme leader wasn't standing behind them, who was always looking on with his own version of shock written across his face.

When the first wave of shock passed, Tayuya's expression then turned dark. She lowered her face as her arms and hands started trembling. '_I can't… kill him… I can't… use the seal…. But I… can use those…._'

Naruto kept a weary eye on his opponent as she slowly knelt down and retrieved her flute, curious as to why she was putting it away when it seemed to be all she had in the way of a weapon or means to invoke her genjutsu.

"Must… not… kill…" she started muttering. She placed her hands together carefully. "Must… not… kill…" she said again, making a hand sign. She continued uttering the mantra between signs until she broke the sequence and grasped her wrists with the opposing hands, screaming: "ONLY… MAIM!!"

'**Ooo, you might want to take out those earplugs sweety-pie, it seems your new girlfriend is a teensy bit pissed at you. I don't know why though!**' Daki commented with a girlish giggle.

'_Yeah, not like I did anything to provoke her, right?_' he asked back comically. He raised an eyebrow as he saw something glowing underneathe Tayuya's wristbands, bright red in color through the black fabric wrapped around her wrists. "This can't be good…"

Tayuya lifted her head oh-so-slowly, her hands releasing her wrists and letting them fall back to her sides, her eyes tinted red themselves when they were visible. "Must… MAIM!"

Naruto prepared himself as Tayuya raced towards him, the glow from her wrists now moving to envelop her fists. "Oh boy, this is getting fun now!" he taunted.

'_What are you doing, Tayuya-chan…?_' Orochimaru thought to himself idly. '_You've never shown this to any of the others before, and I certainly would have known if I had taught it to you. What kind of trick have you developed…?_'

Tayuya was running as fast as she could. When she was only a few feet from Naruto, she pulled her left fist back and let it fly forward as soon as he was merely a foot in front of her. "EAT THIS!"

He moved to his left and knocked her arm to the side above the elbow, then ducked under her arm and moved back to his right, twisting her arm after grabbing just under her elbow with both hands. He applied pressure and brought her arm behind her back as high up her spine as he could without breaking anything.

Tayuya didn't allow him to keep his grip long as she thrusted her right arm back towards him, which he dodged by moving to her left which lined him up perfectly for her right arm's fast movement from a jab to his gut into a punch from her right that sailed just over his left arm and connecting solidly with his sternum. "FUCK-FACE!"

"SHIT!" Naruto yelled as her punch hit home. The force behind the impact was enough to send him flying off his feet a good twenty feet before he finally landed and rolled a few times. "Oh fuck… that hurt like a son of a bitch…"

"It should! That punch was merely a portion of the humiliation you caused me!" Tayuya shouted. She moved to a strange taijutsu stance he couldn't quite identify as the glow around her fists stayed strong. "Gonna get up you maggot-fucker or are you gonna give up and get yourself killed!"

Naruto stood up cautiously and looked at himself as he drowned out her taunts. '_Fuck, the grazing on my arm seared the skin to look like a second-degree burn, and I swear I've got a huge blister building underneathe my shirt where she made full impact!_' Indeed: there was a very wide mark several inches in length that wrapped partway around his arm where Tayuya's punch flew over, and the place she hit him was stained with a mix of burn marks and hints of blood.

'**Don't worry about that, pudding-pop! The regeneration will start kicking in after a few more moments, so just relax and have fun!**' Daki said comfortingly.

'_Good to know. Doesn't really matter if they find out I can heal most small things quicker than it takes a person to stop bleeding from pricking their finger with a needle…_' he responded. He looked down at his arm and found a thin reddish glow moving over the scorched surface.

Orochimaru was possibly the only one in Otogakure's audience who actually noticed the minute glow surrounding Naruto's wound aside from Tayuya; everyone else was either too far from the scene or wasn't paying enough attention. '_Very intriguing… So the demon gives its host an edge of the competition… I doubt it's a perk as much as it's a self-defense mechanism in order to help prolong the host's life and as such also that of the demon's…_'

"Just because you've got a freaky trick to heal wounds doesn't mean you're going to come out of this completely fine!" Tayuya shouted, charging at him again.

'**Kit, you can't take hits like that all the time. You need to pull something out of your ass if you want to pass this trial and get stronger!**' Daki commanded.

'_Like I said, no Sandralia, no fox-fists, nothing that blows my being a demon vessel!_' he snapped back, dodging Tayuya's right hook.

She swung her left leg up as she used her momentum to perform a full spin around, her calf moving to connect with Naruto's head. He ducked down and kicked out with his left leg as she went to use her right arm as a pivot to steady His foot impacted roughly and successfully forced Tayuya to land on the ground hard, the force causing her to roll away from Naruto as his right leg made a follow-up sweep allowing him to stand back up on his right foot then onto his left, his entire body easing into his adjusted taijutsu stance as Tayuya stood back on her own feet.

She spat out a splotch of blood on the ground and focused her rage-filled eyes on Naruto.

"Well, twenty minutes down, forty left to go," Naruto said, tapping his wrist as if he had a watch on. "Think you can last that long?"

'_Fuck! I lost my chance at making him my pet! At least I still stand a chance at getting out their bets…_' Tayuya grumbled. She really wanted a pet, and one that wasn't a part of a summons contract, too.

"C'mon Tayuya. I know you can do better," Naruto said, goading her on by cleaning out an ear with his little finger. "I got more practice against a bandit the day after we bolted from Konoha than what you're giving me now."

Tayuya clenched her fists tightly enough that her nails started drawing blood from her palms. "Gotta always have something fucking smart to say, do ya? Well what are you going to say when I drive my fist down your throat, rip your voice box out and turn it into a harmonica?!"

Naruto flicked the earwax off his finger in a random direction. "Pretty much. Help keeps me on my feet." He formed the signs for his new favorite jutsu and looked her in the eye. "But it seems like you're not willing to do this the right way, so I'm gonna have to push you to test me right! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A split-second later, and there was fifty more Naruto in the stadium, all forming a tall pyramid behind the original.

Orochimaru looked on wide-eyed. '_Amazing, able to create solid clones, and so many of them without even a sweat. It seems Sarutobi made a fatal mistake in allowing you to be allowed to leave the Leaf, Naruto-kun…_'

"Shadow clones are still just clones!" Tayuya roared, the glow of her fists growing a tad in intensity. "I'll make them vanish and them I'm going to skin your worthless carcass and use your fucking pelt as my bedspread!" The redhead emphasized her point with a reckless charge at the force before her.

Naruto raised his hand and then leveled it at Tayuya. "First wave, go!" he called out. The top two rows of clones from the pyramid jumped down and formed a barricade before Tayuya could reach the original Naruto. Each clone came at her from different angles, three of them being smacked by her fists but the other four managed to tackle her down by restraining her legs and lower abdomen.

Unfortunately, they had tackled her onto her back so she was able to jab each of the clones in the backs of their heads, now making the total clones drop to forty-three.

"Interesting. Seems you're losing control of that technique of yours already," Naruto said as fifteen more clones took positions between the two real contenders. "I wonder how much longer before you have to let your control over it go. I imagine it's actually got a very high chakra cost to use for a couple minutes, but you've already been holding it for nearly ten."

Aisha looked at the display under the Otokage's platform, and sure enough: Tayuya and Naruto's match had been going on for a totaled thirty-three minutes now. '_Damn, there goes my wager. Just leaves Temari now. Lucky bitch…_'

"You can't get the best of me, not like this!" Tayuya roared. She dove headlong into the new group of defending clones, four more going down as she landed solid punches to various points of impact.

Clones moved in on her faster than she could counter, and this time there were two on each limb avoiding her hands, the remaining three wrapped their arms around her abdomen. The most lucky of all had his arms wrapped around her well-disguised ample cleavage.

"Get your filthy fucking hands off me, you goddamned pervert!" she screamed, struggling with all the strength she could against the clones.

"I may be a pervert, but I at least got to take a shower last night," Naruto started. He sniffed the air delicately around him, and then moved in closer. Each step was followed by a sniff, and a sniff by a step until he was a foot in front of the gaggle of clones and red hair. He pointed to her right hand and those clones positioned it out for him to inspect. He leaned down just outside of her struggling fingers' reach and sniffed again. "But it seems like you failed to get rid of the scent you left on yourself… last night maybe? Either that or it was a morning quickie before breakfast."

The redheaded kunoichi's eyes shrank to the size of dots as her temper flared to the point where smoke was literally pouring out her ears in rage. Never before had she been humiliated so much, she wasn't going to take it anymore. "FUCK MY ORDERS! I'M GOING TO FUCKING _KILL_ YOU AND USE YOUR GUTS AS STORAGE SCROLLS, YOUR BONES FOR MY TOOTHPICKS, AND I'LL USE YOUR FUCKING SKIN TO MAKE MY UNDERWEAR OUT OF!!!"

Naruto jumped back as her efforts to escape from his clones intensified. "Remaining forces, close in! DOG-PILE THE HOTTIE!" he ordered, gesturing the last twenty-eight clones to jump over him and pile up on the eleven bodies in front of him.

"No you MOTHERFUC-"

Tayuya's scream was cut short as all the shadow clones swarmed on top of her, forming a large pile of blonde hair and black clothing.

Moments passed as the large assemblage waited silently to see what happened next. The first person to do anything was Naruto, with a simple raise of the eyebrow.

Suddenly, there was a massive flare under the pile of clones. Red enveloped the whole lot of them, and a moment later they all dispelled with a rapid series of _poof_s. Standing all alone, panting hard with her fists dripping blood as their glow began to waver, Tayuya stared firmly at her blonde nuisance of an opponent.

"Very impressive, Tayuya. Didn't think you'd be able to blow them off and still have the strength to stand," he said, clapping his hands loosely.

"Enough of your… fucking mouth! Fight… me… like a man!" Tayuya hissed. She grit her teeth in pain, the energy she was forcing through her hands was starting to backfire on her and damage her through the holes her nails were creating.

Naruto shrugged and dug inside his vest. "Fine, if you're going to be so demanding, I might as well oblige you this much," he said, pulling out his storage scroll. Opening it up and stopping on a section, he released the seal he found and pulled forth a pair of very large kunai, the blades alone being the length of his forearm. He held them tightly in the back-grip fashion as he steeled his gaze with Tayuya's, causing her to wince as he moved without warning at her.

'_What the bloody fuck-?_' was all she had time to think, no time to physically react before Naruto was right in her face, his arms crossed to level the tips of his weapons right over her vocal cords from a lower angle. "It's over, admit defeat," was all he said.

She snarled at him, wordlessly pressing forward against his large kunai. Her throat tickled as the metal poked into her throat.

Naruto didn't falter as she tried to make him fold, knowing fully well that she was trying to fuck with his mind and get him to back off. "Don't expect it to work, Tayuya. I'm not a pussy. But from what I found earlier, yours smells quite nice." He punctuated the last comment by bringing up his right leg and promptly kicking her back via a blow to her gut.

"Oof!" The kunoichi landed hard and tumbled. She finally came to a stop on her neck, her abdomen precariously upright with her feet leading her legs as they fell and landed on either side of her head, her arms splayed out aimlessly. She looked up at the ceiling of the stadium in a foggy state of mind that didn't clear itself up until Naruto decided to make his appearance over her, capturing her whole attention.

"Good thing Orochimaru's old friend Jiraiya ain't here; he'd be having a field day right now," Naruto said. He knelt down slightly and ran something Tayuya couldn't quite identify around her ankles and then around her wrists. He then pressed both his feet on the ends of whatever it was just outside her wrists as he stood back up and showed her one of the large kunai.

"What do you plan to do with that, tickle me for your sick pleasure?" Tayuya spat angrily, her eyes focusing a bit more. She looked at each of her appendages and realized with feminine fear that she had let herself be tied up with high-grade ninja wire. And then she came to the fact that she was literally 'ass-over-teakettle', with no visible path of escape.

The blonde's attitude grew dark despite the fact that he was grinning. He moved his hand over her airborne posterior and dangled the kunai loosely as he spoke. "No, I'm just moving to end this trial, one way or another. The more you refuse, the closer this kunai gets. If you don't give in by a certain point, the consequences will be entirely on your shoulders."

Tayuya's eyes widened as she watched him close the distance gradually. "You wouldn't dare…"

"Continue to resist and we'll see…" he countered; he now had the weapon a foot above her, only being held by two fingers and his thumb. He lowered it an inch and looked at her, a growling glare her response. He lowered it two more inches, and still she only glared. "You won't be able to last much longer; I can tell that you may have had a hard life, but not so hard as to want to give up certain primal needs so carelessly…" he taunted as the tip of the kunai now was only six inches above her unguarded womanhood.

"You fucking JACKASS! LET ME GO NOW!" Tayuya screamed. She struggled hard against the wire restraining her, to no avail as he was clearly heavier than her and also securing the restraints by using his chakra to hold his feet in place.

"Those aren't the words I want to hear from you…" he said, lowering the tip now to within two inches. He moved it dangerously around in a slow circle awaiting her response.

At this point, the crowded seats were roaring in mixed emotion. The men in the audience were cheering him on, a solid majority of them having made unsuccessful attempts to woo the feistiest kunoichi in the hidden village. All the woman were calling for the Otokage to intervene and castrate the outsider for what he was doing to their unofficial 'goddess'.

Those on the Otokage platform were speechless and stunned. None of the three had expected things to turn out like this, and Orochimaru had never seen someone go so far as to threaten an opponent's genitals during a non-mortal fight. Granted, it was an ingenious move, but still… Even the great Snake Sennin had _his_ limits.

Tayuya's teammates were still stunned from the blonde's earlier feat of stamina with the clones, unable to fathom how he could be so energetic. Jiroubou however, was _still_ unconscious from his fight with Temari as part of the effects of the healing Kabuto had performed.

Naruto's own teammates were both surprised and dismayed at how demented and disturbed their 'leader' had apparently become unnoticed. Sasuke was unable to watch, not from the terror to women that his teammate had suddenly become but rather from a severe headache that had gotten too strong for him to continue to watch anything. Aisha and Temari were both looking on with mixed feelings, both hoping that Tayuya would come to her senses before it was too late. Bets be damned, they weren't wanting things to go this way.

Tayuya shut her eyes after shaking her head furiously again. '_I can't give in, can't give in, can't give in, can't give in…_' she thought over and over, feeling the tip of the kunai being dragged roughly around various orifices.

"Last chance, Tayuya…" she heard. She cracked one eye open after the tip of the weapon was pulled away, only for both of her eyes to snap open as she saw Naruto above her, gripping the large kunai in a stabbing position over her. "I'll give you one last chance. Take it and keep your dignity, or hope to whatever you believe made everything that you'll come out of this fine…"

She shook her head one last time as she screwed her eyelids shut tightly.

Naruto let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand. Shaking his head one last time, he sighed again. "Oh well, you brought this upon yourself…"

Without another word, Naruto slightly raised his hand and then drove it down towards it's target.

"MERCY!"

Silence rang throughout the stadium immediately following Tayuya's outburst. Naruto looked down at her and he could see the tears streaming from her eyes.

"Mercy! I give up! You win, alright? I fucking GIVE UP!" she screamed again. More tears streamed down her cheeks, her eye lids already becoming irritated from the salty liquid.

"I'm glad to hear that, Tayuya…chan," Naruto said. He stepped off the ends of the wire and knelt down, putting his weapon behind him as he started removing the wire from her joints. He even grabbed her feet gently as she was still silently crying and eased her body into a more appropriate position on her back.

The crowd was dumbstruck as the conclusion of the match, the only one not an active combatant jumping down and pointing at Naruto. "Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"

The stadium was still like a void, no noise amongst any of the onlookers as Kabuto's judgment rang out. Then, the crowd lost their ever-loving minds and cheered their brains out.

Sakon and Orochimaru were the next people to arrive at the center of the arena, the other six shinobi soon following. Tayuya wiped away her tears roughly as she batted Naruto's offered hand and instead stood up on her own.

The eight contenders stood once again before Orochimaru, this time in two rows of four columns with the Sound Five ninja behind those formerly of Konoha.

The pale leader of Oto spread his arms out beside him and all the crowds hushed instantly. "Today, we saw four of our most esteemed ninja and four strangers enter through the main gate of this stadium, all seeking to do combat. Four to prove themselves worthy of this village, the other four to preserve the strength of which we select our shinobi. When we leave, we won't be seeing those same numbers."

Sakon stepped forward and held up a case with four Sound hitai-ite in it, all with black cloth and darker-than-normal plates bearing the musical note the village used for an insignia.

"Momentarily, we will be seeing four new members to our ranks leaving side by side with their new comrades, all ready and willing to serve this village to the end!" Orochimaru called out. The people in the stands cheered as Orochimaru picked up the headbands and presented them to the new Oto ninja. "You may each wear these as you see fit, but you will need to alleviate yourselves of that hideous Leaf headband. You are not required to get rid of it, but you will not be permitted to wear it within these walls."

Each of them accepted the new hitai-ite without a word. They each placed it under an arm as they proceeded to remove and stow their scarred Konoha headbands and then replace them with the new Oto hitai-ite.

Orochimaru smiled broadly as his newest ninja looked up at him with strength and determination in their faces as they plates glistened in the light of the arena.

"As Shodaime Otokage, I hereby pronounce you all officially shinobi of Otogakure!"

[---]

**WOOOO! That was one **_**helluva**_** fight!**

**And I know that some of you are probably going 'WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!' with how I designed Naruto's victory.**

**And then there are those of you that I know exist who think I've made our favorite knucklehead 'OP' (overpowered for those of you unfamiliar with MMO terms); keep in mind that I'm not actually making him stronger per se (although he technically **_**is**_** stronger just by him being two years older than canon), so much as I'm actually making him **_**smarter**_**!**

**So put **_**that**_** in your pipe and smoke it!**


	11. Chapter 11

(Prinnies are working on cleaning up the blood and small amount of debris off the stage)

**Hello folks, and we are proud to bring you into the new section of this glorious fic of mine! **

**Naruto and company have officially joined Oto after having defected from Konoha rather than allow Naruto to be banished. **

**What lies in store for our young group of ninja heroes now that they've managed to claim sanctuary under another village's banner? Watch and find out!**

(Prinnies run by quickly with a banner trailing behind them reading:)

Welcome back, and enjoy the events of today's chapter doods!

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"Good work, all of you."

"Thank you, Lord Otokage," chimed eight voices simultaneously.

Orochimaru looked at the eight shinobi before him from his place atop the dais in his abysmal office. Each of them proudly wore their headbands in their own ways, their bodies stiff and rigid before him as they awaited their orders.

"Now that the four of you have proven worthy of those headbands, you will now be assigned quarters and other amenities," the pale man said as he took his seat behind the desk behind him. "I hope you enjoyed your stays with Tayuya and Kimimaro; the quarters you will receive won't be as extravagant as theirs, but will serve you quite well."

The four new shinobi of Oto remained silent but the looks on their faces spoke for them.

"You see, in this village, the shinobi are granted living space based on their rank and performance. Since these four plus the ninja you met at the entrance yesterday are amongst the most elite of the forces of Oto, they are not forced to share nearly as much with their comrades as those who are ranked below them do." He pulled open a drawer and pulled out two keys, tossing one to Naruto and the other to Aisha. "As such, Aisha and Temari shall share a living space with another kunoichi while you and Sasuke will share a currently empty set of quarters, a roommate pending in the future. In addition, you will be given a stipend for expenses provided by the village to take care of food and equipment outside of what you receive from the quartermaster and the cafeteria, which will also grow as you advance in rank."

The two of them pocketed their keys, never breaking eye contact with Orochimaru as they nodded wordlessly.

"Granted that you may be on par with the Sound Five or even Kabuto, I am sorry but you will have to remain quartered with the genin for the time being." Orochimaru closed the first drawer and pulled open another and placed the single scroll within on the desk in front of him. "We will discuss advancements and the ilk later. Before anything else, I have a mission for you four. It will be your first as Oto ninja, and as such you will be evaluated most critically on your performance."

The assembled Sound Five members looked oddly at their leader as the newcomers in front of them looked on unobjectively.

"I have received a request from the Nidaime Mizukage of Kiri," Orochimaru started. "Due to the ongoing reconstruction of the Mist village and its forces being heavily strained with the resolution of the last conflicts within their own borders, we are being commissioned to retrieve a missing-nin who carries something of great importance to the legacy of that village." He opened and held up the scroll, revealing a mug-shot of a man with short black hair and bandages covering the lower section of his face, his eyes dark and uncaring as they looked straight at you. "His name, Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Swordsmen."

"The Demon of the Bloody Mist," Aisha started. "Carrying the zanbato crafted by the infamous blacksmith traitor Maraki Shujo of Whirlpool."

"I see you know your bingo book, Aisha," Orochimaru said. He rolled the scroll back up and tossed it to her as he went on. "Your mission is to locate and capture him, and if possible, return his sword along with Zabuza's body to Kiri. Anything else he may have with him is unimportant."

Aisha caught the scroll and tucked it into her obi as the others looked at her. "Any information on where we can find him as of now?"

Sakon moved from the shadows and held up a map of the continent, a small area visibly highlighted with chakra to stand out. Orochimaru pointed at the area as he spoke. "Yes, as a matter of fact we do know where to find him. Right now, he is currently working as a muscle-man for a business tycoon who's trying to take economic control over the small island country of Wave. All that we have confirmed is that he's been hired to kill a man of Wave working on building a bridge to the mainland to break this tycoon's control over the country."

"I've heard about him, isn't that guy's name Gato or something?" Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.

"Word must travel swiftly then. Yes, it's Gato that has hired Zabuza," Orochimaru said. "And we are also informed that Wave has sent this bridge-builder to Konoha to commission their council for assistance in protecting the bridge during the final stages of its construction. While we aren't necessarily willing to help the Leaf, we are merely alleviating their problems indirectly. By removing Zabuza, we remove the strongest part of Gato's mercenary force."

"So should we then wear our scarred hitai-ite rather than our Oto plates?" Sasuke asked. "Keeping it out of the loop that we're of Oto and instead still roaming as missing-nin would be best for the time being, wouldn't it?"

Orochimaru blinked a couple of times before smiling widely. "Yes, that _would_ be a very advantageous move Sasuke. In fact, I believe that your squad shall perform under such pretext on all missions that take the four of you more than a day's travel outside the village's safety."

The four of them nodded once. "Any other details, Lord Orochimaru?" Naruto asked.

"Just be prepared to leave first thing tomorrow. Until then, feel free to learn the layout of the village or do what you wish; just be sure to cause as little mischief as possible. You are, after all, the new people." Orochimaru smiled sinisterly. "You four are dismissed."

"Yes, Lord Otokage." They bowed and proceeded to vacate the chamber. As the door shut behind Temari, the Sound Five all turned and faced Orochimaru.

"So what are your impressions?" the pale leader asked, leaning back into his chair.

Kimimaro stepped forward as he spoke. "From last night's conversations in my quarters, both Naruto and Sasuke seem truly detached from their former village. Mostly focused on their surroundings and apparently moving on with their lives by ignoring outside parties unless necessary for their progression as shinobi. In regards to Aisha's skills, the surface of her skills seems to not even be scratched by today's trials." Kimimaro's eyes focused a bit more as he continued. "It was very _interesting_ how she manipulated the floor through almost a sheer exertion of will amplified through her sword. I also doubt she is letting on more than a fraction of her true identity, as both a person and as a ninja." He bowed and took his spot back in line as Tayuya now stepped forward from behind where Naruto had been standing.

"Lord Orochimaru, both kunoichi were fairly guarded when we spoke. They seem to be more careful of what information they release, and more interested in engaging themselves amongst most people as if things were normal. I even went so far as to make bets with them over my match with Naruto to see if I COULD GET THEM TO OPEN UP." She sighed as she noticed an eyebrow on every face in the room go up. "I unfortunately lost the wager I made with Temari, about the fucking blonde rat getting me to give up at any point. My wager was I'd beat him into the ground wthin fifteen minutes, and then Aisha's was he'd beat me in thirty."

"And what was at stake?" Orochimaru asked with a strange curiousity.

"Apparently… Naruto has two fiancées, one being the Kazekage's daughter," Tayuya answered bluntly. "The other is a girl he grew up with back in Konoha, whom he plans to rescue one day as well as her father. The wager with Aisha was that I had to accept his… marriage proposal, because apparently she thinks he's going to propose. My own wager was that if I won within fifteen minutes, I got to turn him into my personal servant."

"And what is it you have to do for Temari then?" Sakon asked, his eyes narrowed furiously.

The redhead rubbed her face with both hands as she attempted to get away with just a mumble.

"What was it Tayuya?" Orochimaru asked impatiently.

"Temari got me to agree that, if I gave up and forfeited at any point, I had to… be the one to propose to Naruto." She lowered her face. "In front of both her and Naruto's other fiancée."

Everyone in the room fell quiet, Sakon actually falling off his feet in disbelief. From his dazed body, there appeared a pair of hands, which then turned into a pair of arms and proceeded to grow into a completely new body, similar to Sakon.

"Ah, Ukon," Orochimaru said. "I was wondering when you'd awaken."

"I can't understand why'd you accept such a stupid deal, Tayuya-chan!" Ukon snarled. "What about your promise to Sakon and me? Does that mean nothing to you?"

Tayuya growled back as she balled her fists up. "In all honesty, I wouldn't exactly call what sits between us a 'promise' so much as a 'convenient agreement' you freak of a ninja!"

"Enough of your childish bickering!" their leader snapped. He looked at both of them dangerously, his golden eyes narrowing into feral slits. "Deal with your petty sexual squabbles during your own time, _outside_ of my office!" He looked back at Tayuya and seethed. "Now, what is your impression of Naruto's combat skills, before I lose my temper with all of you."

"As of the completion of our match, a proper analysis of Uzumaki's skills in combat is uncertain. While he _did_ manage to make me give in, he only used a _single_ jutsu in tandem with excessive childish taunts that got the better of me. Though eh also seems to be skilled in getting into his opponent's head, his tactics are rather… _barbaric_ but effective."

"Yes, indeed. I must admit, the fact that our little demon vessel is able to create shadow clones in such number and not be tired in the least is a very intriguing tidbit. I doubt that that forbidden jutsu is the only one he has in his arsenal, and I seriously doubt he's showing us his true potential." The Otokage pondered a moment before speaking again. "We must be weary of how we handle him though. He may be human, but he contains quite possibly the most destructive force history has ever seen. Until further notice, all of you, as well as all other ninja in our ranks, are to be cautious of Uzumaki Naruto."

"Yes sir!"

Tayuya returned to her original spot as Jirobo stepped forward next. "Lord Orochimaru, Subaku no Temari proves to be a very skilled kunoichi despite having just been graduated from an academy. I believe she may have been privately tutored by a wind-style master in Suna before her deployment to Konoha, given her performance in our match. It also was a mismatch though, as wind jutsu will always overpower an earth-adept's jutsu. Such is my reason for failure to accurately test Temari's skills in battle."

"No need to be embarrassed about a trial match against someone of your element's polar opposite. You are not faulted for the result. Next," Orochimaru said dismissively.

Jirobo bowed as he stepped back into line, Kidomarou stepping forward now. "Lord Orochimaru, Uchiha Sasuke seems to have improved beyond what few reports we received from Kabuto's tiem as his senior year sensei. He learned and adapted to the constantly changing scenario. He found himself restrained, and somehow adapted to getting out of my webbing faster than others, and it took even less time for him to find a way to maneuver close enough to me and force me to stand down. In all accounts, I believe he may have actually started activating his bloodline limit during the fight."

Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, but what's disturbing is that none of us were actually the first to even notice this change in the Uchiha's actions. I noticed Naruto himself actually noting to his other teammates about the development, and that in itself is unsettling."

Kimimaro and Tayuya looked curiously at their leader.

"I believe we need to keep a close eye on our dear Naruto," Orochimaru started. "I believe he is holding back a lot more than we initially gave him credit for. We must be wary that he is smarter than anticipated, or even possibly being indulged certain… accommodations by his demonic tenant."

"Then what are we going to do? You must have some idea as to what we can do," Kimimaro posed.

Tayuya spoke up. "We can't just let the fucker roam like everyone else, can we? Is there something we can do to possibly put a leash or some shit on him?"

The Snake Sennin thought of this new possibility for a moment. "Interesting idea, Tayuya. Maybe we should give him a… _fetter_ to keep him under control…"

"What do you have in mind, Lord Orochimaru?" Jirobo asked cautiously.

"None of that for now," he responded. He sat forward once again and set his head on his hands. "For the time being, Just monitor the four of them. I have work to do, if I'm to have Naruto's leash ready by the time they return from their mission. Especially if I'm going to deploy that squad for our larger mission…"

The four before him bowed respectively before making their separate departures. As Jirobo closed the door behind himself, Ukon looked down at his borther's unconscious body and sighed. "He's going to be fucking _pissed_ when he wakes up…"

"Don't worry Ukon," Kabuto said, stepping from the shadows. "He won't wake up until _after_ they depart tomorrow, thus preventing him from going after Naruto-kun." He stepped forward and knelt down over Sakon, a glowing hand touching Sakon's palid forehead. A moment of green glow soaking into the twin's skin, and light snoring echoed throughout the chamber. "There, good to go. Now hurry and get him back to your quarters, before your strength fails you."

"Right." Without hesitation, Ukon picked up his brother's limp body and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kabut stood up and adjusted the bridge of his glasses. "So, what do you have in mind for our dear little fox-boy? As his fetter, I mean."

Orochimaru sneered in grim delight. "I believe I'm going to give him what is already coming to him…"

"Care to enlighten me, or are you going to keep even me out of the loop this time?" the silver-haired spy asked, a slight mock pout in his tone.

"Don't worry Kaubot, you'll find out what I've got planned before anyone else." Orochimaru leaned back and let out a dark laugh. "After all, I'm going to need to have someone else applying the other end of his leash while I secure it to him…"

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"Shit, these places are small."

"Could be worse, Ruot-kun. At least we're neighbors."

Sasuke peered into the quarters he and Naruto were going to share as Aisha stepped into the doorway across the hall. "It's about the size of the front room in the apartments I had back in Konoha, same size as Kimimaro's front room too."

"Seems about the size of my room back at Ayame's, too," Naruto added. He peered into the girls' room and saw only a few things near a bed on the far side of the room. "I'm just glad we don't have a third guy in our place," he snickered.

Next thing he knew, Naruto was slammed against the wall by a strong force as a significantly smaller girl passed him by and entered the room. Her green braided hair wiggled side to side between her shoulder blades as she moved towards the noticeably reserved bed.

"Hey, watch it you little bitch," Temari scolded as she peeled Naruto out of the door frame.

"He doesn't belong in here. Now explain wh you're in _my_ room," the newcomer demanded as she sat down on the bed, her grey eyes narrowing slightly as her thin face scrunched up in disgust.

"The Otokage has assigned us to stay here until further assessment is processed," Aisha butted in, placing her weapon against the wall next to the bed on the righthand side of the door. "We won't be here long; we've already been assigned a mission out to Wave tomorrow morning. After tonight, you won't need to worry about us intruding in here for some time."

The girl's eyes narrowed even further at hearing that. "Why are _you_ being given an outside mission for your first detail when I've been here two years and still restricted to inside duties? I know the four of you noobs aren't _nearly_as strong as you showed us today at the stadium! The others merely faked those losses!"

Sasuke stepped forward to protest, but Naruto stopped him with an upraised arm. He looked at her with a crucial eye as he spoke. "Think what you may, but I can tell you they honestly tried to kick our asses today. Tayuya _especially_ tried to send me to the hospital."

"You're the worst of all!" she screamed, several senbon coming at the blonde teenager as the girl stood up. "I should kill you right now! I won't stand to be _near_ you!"

The new girl was cut short before she could launch more needles as Temari's small fan opened up and deflected the first round back to the wall behind and above her head. "Say what you will, but threatening my fiancée is not going to be tolerated, especially when you're going to be roommates with his cousin as well as me," she hissed.

"Calm down Temari," Aisha said as she sat down on the bed she claimed. "Fighting with our roommate this soon will not make our lives any easier." She sighed and looked at the girl with the green braid. "Tell me, what is your name as you already know us by name from this morning's events."

The girl huffed as she put away her handfuls of senbon to their pouches. "Mizrahi Mitsune."

"Iwa refuge I take it?" Temari asked as she snapped her fan shut. She took a seat on the other bed as Naruto and Sasuke stood in the doorway.

"Yes. My family was caught in the crossfire when our village was attacked by a large group fo missing-nin from Kumo. I was swept up by a wandering scavenger who dropped me off a few weeks later in the capitol of this country, where Orochimaru-sama then rescued me from a whore-house," Mitsune said. She looked up at the ceiling as she fell back to her bed. "Since then, I've been training day and night. That's pretty much all there is to my life."

"Well, we're gonna let you ladies get to know each other while we get settled. Laters," Naruto said as he shoved Sasuke out the door and closing it before anyone could protest.

"Why'd you do that, Dobe?" Sasuke asked, slightly miffed as they went into their room. "I think we should have stayed. She seemed interesting…"

Naruto moved into their own room and sat down on the farthest bed. "As to leaving, we've got better things to do." He took off his vest and pulled out his scroll. Flicking it open and activiating a seal near the end of the row, he pulled out a message scroll. "As to you finding her interesting… that's merely your trouser-devil finally waking up to someone not made of ink placed on paper."

Sasuke looked away as a blush formed across his cheeks. "Can't help it, it's like she's right off the cover…" he muttered as he sat down on the bed across from Naruto's. "So, what's so much more important than getting to know our neighbors?"

Naruto opened the smaller scroll and showed it to him. "A message from the old man…" the blonde responded with a twitch of the eye.

"What's it say?" Sasuke said cautiously. He looked around out the corner of his eye as Naruto's eyes indicated.

"Pretty much it's just a farewell letter. Saying he's sorry about what happened with the council, but never step foot in Fire Country as long as we can avoid it. Apparently, someone on the council anticipated this whole mess and secretly posted undercover sentinels in each of the border posts and every village under Konoha's protection. I honestly don't plan on returning, not after what I've lived through."

Sasuke nodded as he finally found what it was Naruto meant. A small object sat just under the mattress of the last bed in the room. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Everyone kissing my ass really pissed me off. I couldn't go a single block without someone noticing me and praising me. Then there wer all those fucking bimbos…"

"I'm not surprised you never took any of them up on those offers." Naruto rolled the message back up and resealed it into the first scroll. He activated a seal on a different section and out came his box of books. "Seriously, none of the ones I saw chasing you seemed good enough. Not to boost that old ego of yours, but you _do_ warrant a certain caliber of female after all. We all do."

Sasuke sighed as he unclipped his scroll and set it down on his lap. "Yeah, but something's different about Mitsune…" he trailed off. He pulled the scroll open and unsealed his own boxset of books, pulling out the third one and setting the rest off to the side.

"Maybe you've finally found someone?" Naruto asked. He didn't bother lifting his head, knowing what Sasuke was doing.

"Maybe…" the Uchiha survivor again trailed off.

After that, both of them quietly read their books as the hours passed by unknowingly to them.

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"Damn, took you two forever to answer!"

"Sorry, we got caught up in some reading…" Naruto said through a yawn. "What time is it, anyways?"

Aisha looked at a nearby display. "We've got about twenty minutes before we're supposed to be at the gates for departure. I certainly hope you two got enough rest."

Sasuke straightened his collar while stuffing a sandwich into his pocket. "I think so. Didn't expect to lose track of time like that though…"

"C'mon Naruto-kun, are you ready?" Temari asked impatiently as the other blonde chugged down a bowl of ramen.

He set the bowls down on the table and wiped his mouth off with a napkin. "Yeah, I'm ready. We might as well just get the hell out of here now. No sense in putting this off now."

The four of them stood up from the table and left the cafeteria, wasting no time as they headed straight for the hallway to the village's gate. Ten minutes later, and they found themselves behind the wall at the back of the barn, Kabuto waiting for them.

"Good morning everyone. Good to see you all are ready," he greeted them. "Orochimaru has asked that I see you off."

None of them said anything as he turned and activated the wall's seal mechanism, the wall churning and opening to reveal a girl with long black hair and the normal grey and black attire of the usual Oto shinobi, cleaning her fingernails with a senbon needle as she sat above the entrance to the barn.

"Kin, any disturbances?" Kabuto called up to her.

She didn't face him when she answered, more preoccupied with her nails. "Nope, nothing but animals and insects."

"Good. These four are the squad being sent to Wave for Zabuza." Kabuto turned back to the group. "Tsuchi Kin, one of the genin Lord Orochimaru plans to send to the next Chunin Selection Exams. Her teammates are Dosu and Zaku, whom you will most likely meet upon your return."

"Anything else we need to worry about?" Naruto asked.

Kabuto smirked as he looked them all over. "Just remember, the earliest you should swap out your hitai-ite out is noon, granted that you're far enough from the village. Other than that, just keep your heads about you and don't return if you fail." Without another word, the silver-haired 'chunin' vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Good luck you guys, come back with something from Wave for me will ya?" Kin asked offhandedly, flicking a large speck of something from under her thumbnail and having it land on Sasuke's nose.

Sasuke brushed the speck away only to have it smear on his left cheek. "I'll see what I can do, no guarantees though Kin-chan…" he called back as they left.

The first light of dawn greeted them as they stepped outside the barn. Each of them looked around, admring the first morning of their new life in Oto, the dawning of their real ninja careers.

And just as they had exited the barn, they quietly started on their way to the land of Waves, to carry out their first mission for their new Otokage, Orochimaru, and put behind them the past atrocities they had experienced within Konoha for good.

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

**Interesting how that chapter wasn't as long as I wanted it to be, but oh well. That's how things turn out, ne? **

**Anyways, join us next time as Naruto and the others arrive in Wave under assumed names and disguises, seeking their targets. What do they find, and who will they run into?  
Stay tuned to find out!**

**And remember, the more reviews I'm fed, the better my story gets!**


	12. Chapter 12

(The curtains on stage are closed, the banging and clanging of machinery and hammers echoing loudly off the walls of the theater)

**Hello and welcome back folks! Not even on the scene for a full day, and our four heroes **_**already**_** have their first mission! This one, track down and collect Zabuza's head and his sword if possible, and return both to the mIzukage! But what does our sinister snake-like pedophile have in store for little Naruto upon their return? **

**Well, that second question won't be answered for at least three chapters, but please enjoy this new set of chapters focusing on our heroicly delinquent squad of social pariahs!**

(A single prinny pokes his head out from the center of the curtains, sign in his hands reading:)

Enjoy the show doods! We're sure it's going to be destructive as all Hell!

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"So this is what Wave looks like, huh?"

"Yes, the area is generally enveloped in a dense fog a good portion of the year. A lighthouse at each port serves to guide all the boats to and from the docks," Aisha responded as they stepped foot at the edge of the salt water.

"Never seen so much water…" Sasuke said, shivering slightly. "Hope we can get this over with. I don't much care for fighting with so much water around…"

"What, can't swim?" Naruto asked cheekily.

Sasuke promptly punched him in the arm with a growl. "No you dork, our target is a water-specialist and almost everything I've got at the moment is _fire_ jutsu. If I was a lightning-adept, things would be completely opposite."

The older boy returned Sasuke's punch with one of his own to the same arm on Sasuke. "Eye for an eye, hit for a hit. So says the spirit of the land!"

"Knock it off you two! Remember we've got something to take care of here!" Aisha scolded. She looked up and down the shoreline but didn't see anything that improved her mood. "Well this fucking blows…"

Temari adjusted her large fan and looked out at the sea. "What's wrong, Aisha-sensei?"

"I'm not seeing any visible option for us to cross this. The bridge isn't even half done, and if Gato's caught wind of Wave's plan then he's almost certainly cut off boat service for all but his own ships." She rubbed her temples lightly. "If we can't find a boat son, I only have one option, but the three of you really shouldn't attempt it, and I shouldn't try anything. There are surely all sorts of eyes around us right now."

This immediately caught Naruto's attention, causing him to let his guard down and be hit by Sasuke's jab to the ribs. Without a physical reaction, the blonde merely asked, "What shouldn't we attempt"

The ebon woman paced a bit in contemplation, her eyes not focusing on anything the others could visualize. She sighed once more as she buried her head in her hands and shook it a few times. "Well, we really have no other choice, especially if we're going to get across without the forces from Konoha finding us out at the same time."

"What are you going on about, sensei?" Sasuke asked curiously as he adjust his jacket.

She moved over to the water and stepped _on_to it, rather than _in_to it. "Water-walking exercise, similar to the tree-climbing but essentially the exact opposite. Rather than applying the same steady flow to cling to a surface, you're expelling chakra as necessary from your feet in order to stay atop the surface of water."

Naruto's eyes watered and grew to the size of dinner plates, Temari and Sasuke both looking at him strangely.

"But," she went on, moving to stand on the rippling waves, "due to our time constraints, it would be pointless to teach all three of you the technique at this very moment. So instead, Naruto," she said with a finger pointing at him, "you are going to be drawing up as many clones as you can and have them work on it. Every five minutes, one will dispel. After all your clones are dispelled or you've proven you mastered it through their work, we can move onto the next phase."

"Do I have to worry about all the known and unknown elements around us?" Naruto asked with a grin as he crossed his fingers.

"Nope, no holds-bar here. Why?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him dangerously.

"Silly sensei!" Suddenly, he flared his chakra through the hand sign and after the smoke cleared, over two hundred clones crowded the beach. "You should know I go overboard when I can!" all of them announced in unison.

Temari sweatdropped a little as Sasuke slapped his forehead and groaned, their sensei looking blankly at her cousin. "O-kaaay… Just means you're going to be dispelling four clones every two minutes rather than a single one every five…"

The clones all grinned a shit-eating grin in response as Aisha proceeded to demonstrate and instruct them in the water-walking technique. After ten minutes of lecture and examples, the clones got furiously to work on practicing it themselves.

Temari and Sasuke sat on a log near the top of the sand bordering the tree line, watching in awe as their older teammate learned yet another advanced ability in a mere hour. The original Naruto started practicing the technique himself after eighty-percent of his clones had poofed out, and he was already able to run just as fast on water as he could on land.

"Shit, he's going to be one bitch an opponent from now on…" Sasuke said as he flopped onto his back. "Seriously, I'd hate to fight him now."

"Makes me glad I won't have to worry about it," Temari said as she fiddled with a smaller fan. "Besides, just because we're not learning it now doesn't mean we won't ever learn it. You have to remember, Naruto's got a shitload over both of us, and probably over everyone that's graduated from the Academy in the last few years at least as well."

Sasuke waved his hand over his head dismissively. "Yeah, you're right. I mean shit, he's what? Two years older than we are?"

"I think so; it has been almost fifteen years now… since the day Daki tore through the Leaf," the kunoichi said despondently.

Everyone's attention was snagged instantly as a faint sound came from the forest, one that everyone recognized.

"Oh…" Sasuke shot up, fear in his eyes.

Temari bolted to her feet and grabbed her battle fan. "SHIT!"

Aisha focused her eyes in the direction the sound came from, and they immediately widened. "It's the tracking unit!"

All of Naruto's remaining clones promptly dispelled as he stood beside their sensei. "What tracking unit?"

The other two genin joined them as Aisha explained. "Your graduating class this year was divided up into teams with the basis that each team would function under specific designs. The three of you were essentially going to be the backbone of Konoha's next-generation heavy combat units. The CVC also designed a tracking team of sorts,-"

"Hinata, Shino, and Kiba…" Sasuke said as he slapped his forehead again. "That was Akamaru, Kiba's nin-ken companion."

Aisha knelt down and poked her finger into the sand, sending an unseen string of chakra out towards the forest before them. She opened her eyes as her body uprighted itself again. "Seems that what we heard is the force Wave commissioned Konoha for. Not only is there the tracking unit, but I also sensed another team, the second generation 'Ino-Shika-Cho' trio."

"Fuck, Shikamaru and Choji?" Naruto asked depressedly. "Not them too…"

"I knew that if I ever saw Ino again, it'd be too soon…" Temari said, Sasuke wordlessly agreeing by a nod of his own head.

Aisha looked again, and this time saw a lantern's glow standing a few feet above the shore. "Ah, so they've got a boat. This actually gives me an idea…"

"What are you thinking of us doing?" the teenage blonde asked tentatively. He probably wasn't going to like what she had in mind.

"If they're the ones assigned to protect the bridge-builder, whom Gato's hired Zabuza to kill…" she trailed off.

"Then easiest way to find our target is by using our old allies!" Sasuke said. "But how are we going to move around without them noticing us? Hinata may not have the stronges Byakugan yet, but she notices things a _lot_ faster than any other Hyuuga I've ever seen."

Aisha grinned mischievously as she faced her students again. "The best way to hide sometimes, is in _plain sight_…" She looked at Temari's fan. "Temari, is that the 'multi-function' model, that can be used as a hang-glider?"

The blonde kunoichi whipped her fan open and snapped two handles out at the wide section's outer frame and kicked down two more smaller handles. "Yeah, my private instructor made sure that my fans after that first one were the multi-purpose versions. What are you planning?" she asked, a glint of hope in her eye.

Aisha then turned to Naruto. 'Exactly how much wire do you have? The good stuff, that Kiba's clan uses to keep their misbehaving dogs leashed?"

"Whole crate!" Naruto said as he pulled his scroll out. "Managed to intercept it after Kiba pranked me that one day with Akamaru peeing in my thermos of ramen after I started sitting in on the history lessons. They still never figured out where that single crate disappeared to…" He unsealed a large crate, swiftly opening it slightly and extracted a spool of wire. "Here ya go."

Aisha took it and unlatched the free end. "Here Temari, take a good length of this and secure each end to your hand-holds. Create enough slack in it that when you pull the wire from your fan that it comes out about two feet or so. After that's done, I'll secure the end of a much longer length that Naruto's going to secure to himself."

Temari's eyes twinkled with delight. "I get to go para-sailing!"

"This is going to prove quite fun!" Naruto said joyously. Then something hit him. "But what are we going to do with Sasuke?"

"Yeah, I doubt Temari's fan would be able to support the two of us, and with Naruto guiding her fan-glider, I certainly can't piggyback him." Sasuke looked around curiously.

Aisha smirked as she pulled her sheathe out of her obi. "You'll be joining me. There will be more than enough room for both of us on this."

Sasuke sweatdropped. "But… how will it work?"

"Simple!" she said, throwing her sheathe towards the water. Just as it was about to impact the surface, Aisha appeared on top of it, a blue glow surrounding it as it emanated from her feet. Taking a strange stance on it, she moved her arms in windmills as though she were swimming, causing her and the sheathe beneathe her to actually _move_ across the surface. "I developed this trick a couple years after I lost my mother. It really helped build my chakra reserves in the process!"

Naruto finished tying off the end to Temari's tether and drew out a fifty-foot length, promptly cutting it and relatching it to the spool. "So the two of you are gonna surf while we go gliding huh?" he said as he resealed the crate and put the scroll back in his vest. "This is gonna ROCK!"

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"Hey there, Ganju!"

"Hey old man, I see you managed to get back alive, and with ninjas too!" came a reply through the fog, from the lantern seemingly.

"Yeah, that I did!" a man said as he spied the beached boat up ahead. He adjusted his straw hat and took a swig of his sake jug, some of it dribbling down his throat and staining his tattered grey shirt. "They took pity on our situation, and even tossed into a second squad! …Though the majority of them are just snot-nosed kids really…"

"Hey!" Kiba shouted. "If you wanted more than just a fresh squad of genin, you should have found a way to get mor money!"

"Kiba, that's enough," Kurenai said. "You know very well that the people of Wave were barely to scrape as much money together for this as it is. _That's_ why Asuma's team was also assigned to do this."

Asuma took a long drag off his cigarette while he looked around. "Wish there had been some chunin not on patrol duty, or at least a couple spare jonin. Sending two squads barely three weeks out of the Academy on a C-ranked mission shouldn't have even been an option…"

"C'mon Asuma-sensei!" Ino shrieked. "We're ready and you know it! Right guys?"

Choji and Shikamaru looked in opposite directions as their kunoichi teammate glared lasers at them.

"I th-think this wi-will be good for all of us, right Shi-Shino?" Hinata asked timidly.

"I see no reason for there to be much concern. There are eight of us, two jonin at that; more than sufficient against standard thugs with mere swords," the Aburame heir replied robotically.

"Well let's get going. The longer we stand here and yak, the less time we have to get back to my place before nightfall," the bridge-builder ordered from his place in the boat.

Quietly, the eight shinobi took their cramped seats in the boat, soon to find that there were too many for it to work. Asuma and Kurenai stepped off and took positions on either side of the boat as the oarsman Ganju finally pushed off and into the awaiting sea.

"How long will this take?" Asuma said while he and the red-eyed jonin kunoichi jogged alongside the rowboat.

Ganju kept a steady pace as he moved the boat through the way. "It's going to take longer than normal due to Gato having cut off our traditional routes between the mainland and our island. We have to maneuver without the use of our motors, so it'll be a few hours, sad to say."

Asuma merely grunted IN RESPONSE. Thankfully, the genin took the unspoken command from Ganju when he answered Asuma's question and remained quiet.

Two hours into their travel of the water, and Kurenai and Asuma both stopped momentarily and looked backwards over their shoulders.

"Hinata, can you see anything behind us with your Byakugan?" Kurenai whispered as she neared the boat.

"L-let me s-see…" the pale-eyed kunoichi stuttered. She performed a series of hand signs and the veins around her eyes bulged out as she focused them behind the boat. "W-what the he-hell is that?" was all she could say before releasing her bloodline.

"What'd you see, Hinata-chan?" Kiba asked, Akamaru jumping into her lap from his jacket and rubbing against her.

"Holy shit! Ino cried out as she pointed her arm behind the boat. Everyone now looked, and all their jaws dropped.

Approaching them from behind at an amazing speed was a blurry object, which became clearer as it advanced on them.

"Is that… Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked, squinting and shielding his eyes from the hazy light above.

No one could answer him for sure until the rapidly-approaching object was ten feet away. There, standing at the front of something they couldn't identify, was Sasuke in an outfit they'd never seen him wear. What caught their attentions first was that he still wore the Konoha hitai-ite but a scratch ran through the insignia of the Leaf. Then they saw his renegade sensei, Aisha, standing behind him with her arms moving strangely in a windmill motion. They all went speechless as the two of them mysteriously jumped into the air and sailed right over them, Kurenai and Asuma instantly recognizing their 'boat' as Aisha's sheathe. It even still bore her scarred red-tinted hitai-ite. The two of them promptly landed a good distance ahead of the boat, briefly stopping as Aisha leaned to one side with Sasuke the other.

"Hey guys!" he called out. He adjusted his jacket, purposefully indicating his headband plate as he smirked at the people in the boat as well as the jonin around it.

"Hello Asuma, Kurenai," Aisha said flatly. "Nice day for a boatride I see."

Sasuke waved at them one last time as Aisha started up her motions. "See you guys later!" he called back, the two missing nin disappearing into the fog far ahead.

Everyone remained speechless, the bridge-builder actually lost his grip on the sake jug which promptly dropped into the water. "On fuck!" he screamed.

Hinata was the next one to snap out of the reverie as she turned back around and activated her Byakugan once more. "Naru-Naruto-kun!?"

All eyes belonging to a ninja snapped back around. Moments later, there appeared a lone small figure coming at them through the fog.

Naruto spied the boat and started reeling in the slack on the tether. Temari's glider came down, almost a mere twenty feet above him now, as she now saw the boat.

"Hey boys!" Temari called down. "Long time, no see!"

"Hey baby!" Kiba called back. "How 'bout we go out on a date?"

Naruto smirked as he jumped off the water, 'acidentally' undershooting the height, and landing on Kiba's face with his foot. "Sorry about that, Kiba!" he called as he jumped off Kiba's face and onto the water in front of the boat. "See you guys later!" he called back over his shoulder, holding firmly to the large kunai he was using to keeping the wire tether attached and wrapped around.

Shino and Choji immediately held Kiba back from forgetting he couldn't walk on water as he attempted to hunt down his attacker.

Asuma and Kurenai looked dumbly at each other as Naruto and his parasailing teammate vanished into the fog after their other squad members.

"Was he…" she said, pointing lazily at Naruto's last position.

"Yeah… he was…" Asuma said dumbly.

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"Oh, now what am I going to do?"

Flonne stomped her black shoe into the sand as she found no way to get to her targets. "I can't swim! My clothes would shrink if I even tried!"

She paced up and down the beach, still sensing the faintest tinges of the two demon vassals' energies.

"Oooo, those vassals make me so mad!" she shouted. She puffed her cheeks out as her red wings flapped angrily while smoke poured from her ears.

"FUCKING VASSALS!"

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"What do you think they're going to do?"

"Most likely? They're going to either wait until they return to the village before saying anything, or they've already sent a chakra-hawk to Sarutobi about our 'appareace'," Naruto said. He coiled up the tether and untied the line from Temari's fan. "Personally, I don't care."

Temari closed her fan as he put the wire away in a pocket. "So what are we supposed to do now? We didn't think about a way to contact each other if we got lost."

"Don't worry, Aisha will find us," Naruto said. He looked around at the beach a bit before starting up to the forest. "C'mon, we need to get out of here before there's a chance that the boat lands here. I don't want to deal with the squads they sent right away."

Temari walked beside him, admiring the vastly different trees of Wave's forests. "I don't like this, Naruto-kun. We shouldn't have exposed ourselves to those Konoha squads, not this soon at least."

"I know, but there's not much we can really do when flying by the seat of our pants like this. Aisha's got more experience than the three of us combined, so it's just best to listen to her decisions."

The two of them moved on through the forest, not bothering to talk much and instead listened for anything out of the ordinary.

Until they heard a loud explosion followed by a sweeping cloud of smoke appearing in the distance to the southwest.

"SHIT!" the two fo them screamed. They immediately bolted at top speeds from branch to branch, hoping it wasn't what they thought it probably was that had just occurred.

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

"Are you sure splitting up was a good idea, sensei?"

Aisha put her sheathe back in place in her obi as Sasuke looked around for the other half of their team. "Yes, although it was unintentional. Finding our target cannot wait; we must hurry and get Zabuza's sword."

"Thought we were supposed to focus on taking out Zabuza, _then_ his sword," Sasuke asked. He looked curiously at his sensei as she adjusted her kimono and choker.

"That's the mission we were assigned by Orochimaru; my personal mission is to reclaim that sword," she responded. "The blacksmith who forged it betrayed Whirlpool by taking that sword and giving it to Kiri in exchange for amnesty. That sword had been commissioned by my grandfather for Kushina."

"So wait, you mean that the sword our target's carrying around is actually supposed to be Naruto's mother's?" he asked as she started up the steep cliffside.

"Yes, and with her murder, the sword would have been relinquished to Naruto along with all of her possessions." She waited on the top of the cliffs as Sasuke made his unsteady way up to her, his control of the tree-climbing not yet perfect. "We're going to lie to the Mizukage about the sword, saying it was destroyed during the final conflict with Zabuza. Do not tell him this, but I'm going to be keeping a hold of the zanbato for Naruto until he's able to start training with it."

Sasuke shook his head as he came to her side. "Can't believe you're going to go through with just handing that doofus more power than he knows what to do with…"

"Hah! You think I've been just giving him power?" Aisha said as she started to the nearby animal path. "Everything I've given to Naruto, be it knowledge of our kinsmanship or techniques and jutsu, he's had to almost bleed himself dry for it all. You know he spent months working on the body-flicker?"

"No surprise. But what about the shadow clone jutsu?" Sasuke asked, catching up swiftly. "That _had_ to have taken just as long."

"Actually… he got it in just one try…" she admitted slowly. "But in all seriousness, Naruto earns everything he gets. He earned his place in the world, he's earned his strength, and he earned his two, going on trhee, fiancées. And just like verything else, Naruto is going to earn his mother's sword before he even knows it's coming to him."

"So, you think you're going to take my sword away do you?" came a new voice from out of nowhere.

Aisha stood still, her eyes remaining focused ahead of them as Sasuke cautiously moved to be back to back with her, his hands pulling out a kunai each.

"Oh, come now. All talk when you think no one,s around, but when the topic of your conversation makes his debut, you clam right up?" the voice came again. "That really hurts."

"How can 'the Demon of the Bloody Mist' be hurt emotionally?" Aisha asked, her right hand grasping the hilt of her sword.

A thick mist rolled in from all around them as footsteps echoed throughout the trees. "So, you know my monicker do you? Then you should know that I won't stand to let a couple of runts like you badmouth me!"

A whirring sound came to their ears, and just as Sasuke dove for the nearest tree, Aisha drew her greatsword and blocked the flying zanbato aimed for their necks. She steadied her blade with her right hand as she reached towards the other sword's handle with her left.

"Don't think so!" came the voice again, followed by a meaty hand grasping Aisha's wrist, the matching hamfist grabbing the handle from her fingertips. "Nice try though. Have to give you points for being so brave as to grab another swordsman's weapon."

He released her wrist and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her backwards with a skid. "If you know that sword's history, then you can't claim it as your own," she hissed.

"Don't think I'm going to fall for your sob story, girly." The man stoo up as he hefted his sword upright. He stood a good head and a half taller than Aisha, his sword almost the same length, sleeveless grey shirt and pinstriped pants made up his clothing. His arms and legs boasted camouflage coverings, his scarred Kiri hitai-ite askew on his forehead as his bandages covered his face and neck. "Weapons belong to those that are strong enough to use them, and no one is stronger than me!"

"Just because you slaughtered over a hundred genin-hpefuls when you just started at the Kiri Academy does not make you stronger than all other shinobi," Aisha said. "All you have over me is size and a few mental issues. Other than that…" she trailed off as she leveled her greatsword with both hands in front of her chest, tip pointed out to her left as she took a stance.

"Ha, big talk for a small kunoichi!" Zabuza said as he raised his zanbato with one arm behind and above his head.

The two swordsmen looked each other up and down carefully for the next several moments. Zabuza's face remained stiff as a rock, Aisha's cracking slightly with a grin. Without warning, they charged in towards each other with swords ready to clash.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had managed to avoid getting involved with their target by means of climbing up a tree, where he now sat hanging upside-down from a branch a good thirty feet up, his eyes focused on the conflict below him.

'_I know that getting in between Aisha-sensei and Zabuza right now won't do us any good… I need to see if I can find any flaws or weaknesses in his technique, anything we can use if we get out of this…_' he thought, his eyes starting to tingle.

The two ninja clashed dynamically against each other as their swords sent sparks everywhere upon impact. They struggled against the other, trying to gain leverage and tip over the other. Zabuza grunted as he gripped his sword's handle now with both hands, attempting to push Aisha into the ground or otherwise cause her to collapse her stand. Aisha merely adjusted the setting of her feet and dipping herself lower than before.

The resulting change in the stalemate was amazing to see: as Aisha moved herself closer to the ground, the angle at which her sword was holding back Zabuza's sword was altered significantly; enough so that when Zabuza failed to adjust his own position, he lost his balance and fell forward over Aisha. He landed hard on the ground behind her, and then dissipated into a splash of water.

"Shit! Water clone!" Aisha hissed, jumping back several feet in preparation for Zabuza's next attack.

Zabuza's voice rang out through the thick fog again: "I see you're familiar with Kiri's clone jutsu of choice. Not bad, but not good enough. You have to work harder if you think you'll take my sword!"

"'Master of the silent killing technique' is the subtext of your bingo book photo, and it seems you're intent on keeping that reputation up by trying to psyche me out with the ominous untraceable voice in the thick fog, sending in just your puny water clones to do the job," Aisha taunted. She knelt down to the ground and placed her left palm against the ground, digging her fingertips into the soil. "If you're not going to play fairly, I'm going to flush you out!"

Sasuke wasn't able to see exactly what was happening, but he could sense something was almost _spiraling_ outwards from where Aisha was. '_What are you doing, sensei?_' he asked himself.

The raven-haired genin was soon reward for his patience as there was a large rumbling a fair distance ahead of them, pushing a large quantity of soil and debris into the air.

"What the fuck?" Sasuke called out, barely able to keep his position on the underside of his branch.

"Tracking jutsu, learned it from a former Kumo oinin a couple years ago." Aisha readied her sword as she stood, anticipating Zabuza's imminent true arrival. "Sends out the user's chakra in a patterened search, and sends up a spout of earth when it comes across your target."

"I have to admit (sputter-cough), that was a pretty impressive move," Zabuza said, his form coming closer through the fog. "Never had anyone do something like that before, not even a hunter has." He finally appeared, a couple scratches visible on his arms and dirt staining his clothes.

"That was nothing, compared to what I am truly capable of…" Aisha replied. Her eyes steeled, her muscles tense, her body giving off an aura reflecting her hope for battle.

Zabuza smirked evilly under his bandages as he prepared his own sword. "I can smell your anticipation, you're just wanting for me to attack," he said, an almost lecherous look in his eyes. "It smells so sweet… I _love_ sweets…"

"Sorry, but you're not my type," she remarked as she saw the hint of his facial muscles' actions.

"Don't be so fast to shoot me down!" he responded as he charged at her.

Aisha stood her ground with greatsword at the ready, loking for just the right moment.

_Ffffthhhhhhhunk! Ffffthhhhhhhunk!_

Zabuza's charge was halted immediately as a massive kunai landed an inch in front of his foot, with a second right where his other foot was just about to land.

"Stop hitting on my cousin!" came Naruto's voice. "'Cause honestly, you suck _ass_ at flirting!"

"What did you just say you little shit-faced brat?" Zabuza roared, turning his head to face the incoming blonde duo.

There, soaring between the trees with Temari gripping the hanging handles as Naruto crouched on the top of her battle-fan. "Need me to repeat that, bandage-maw?" Naruto called out. "You fucking blow at pick-up lines!"

The Kiri missing-nin turned and raised his sword to block Naruto's dive-bomb kunai-strike when the topside blonde leapt from Temari's fan and lunged with more large kunai angled to hit him in the shoulder and neck.

"Nice try, brat, but you have to do better than that!" Zabuza shouted as he pushed Naruto away. He took a reverse swing with his sword and cut him through the stomach. "Not so tough _now_, are you-?" he started with a sneer that turned into wide eyes as Naruto's face broke out into a grin before he dispelled into a puff of smoke.

"GOTCHA!" Naruto screamed as he came in from behind Zabuza, feet connecting firmly with the small of the giant man's back.

Zabuza went forward and skidded as he face-planted into the soil. "Why you little shit…" he grunted as he stood up.

"We've been sent by the Mizukage to take you back to Kirigakure," Aisha said as she held up the mission scroll. "Dead or alive, your choice. Also he has requested the return of that zanbato."

The tall man snorted as he looked at the scroll. "Hah! That weak bastard couldn't afford to send out his own hunters so he's hired a bunch of Leaf defectors? How pathetic!"

"If that's pathetic, what about an A-class missing-nin being caught off guard by a guy who's only been out of the Konoha Academy for a month?" Temari said as she knelt down on the branch Sasuke was hanging from, her fan neatly closed on her lap.

"She's got a point, mummy-man," Sasuke called. His eyes twitched as something caught his attention a few hundred feet away. "And it seems we've got company…"

'_Oh fuck…_' Zabuza thought to himself without looking back. '_What are you doing here Haku…?_' That's when something came to his mind. "I guess I've got to leave you brats be for now. Something more pressing has just come to mind. Bye… for now!"

Zabuza did a sequence of hand signs, and disappeared in a splash of water before any of the four of them could react.

"Damn!" Naruto exclaimed. He looked around as he knelt and picked up his kunai from the ground as Sasuke and Temari jumped down from their vantage point. "Was there really someone out there, or were you shitting him?"

"All I could tell for sure was that someone was hanging around out there," Sasuke responded as he rubbed his eyes. "Not able to see anything else, especially when I've been getting headaches lately when I'm focusing my eyes on something."

"I think you're just having some issues with your Sharingan waking up late," Naruto said as he rubbed his neck. "Anyways, now what are we gonna do? We can't just go off and follow after him, not with the two Konoha squads on the prowl now."

Aisha sheathed her sword as she signaled for them to follow. "Simple: we just remain peaceful in the view of the populace, let them know we're merely hunting another missing-nin and don't intend to stay longer than necessary and won't cause any issues inside the twon. At the very least, the citizens of Wave won't be so quick to push us."

"Anything's worth a shot," Naruto said.

Sasuke rubbed his temples as he and Temari caught up with the others. "Just hope we don't get caught up in Konoha's path…"

"I'd say just use genjutsu, but with there being both Yuuhi and Hyuuga amongst them, we'd be spotted even faster," Aisha responded.

"Then I guess we should go back to the strategy of 'hiding in plain sight' right?" Temari asked, slipping an arm around Naruto's right arm.

"Pretty much…"

[]X-X-X-X-X[]

**Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the introduction of Zabuza! Haku and Flonne will be getting more face-time in the chapters to come, so no worries there!**

**Keep those reviews coming, folks!**


	13. CHALLENGE

Okay, this isn't an update as much as it is a challenge to you loyal readers of my stories. No worries to those of you that only have an alert on one of my stories, this is getting posted to all four of them.

**CHALLENGE** -

So here it is folks: I know I've been extremely late in the updates, and it's mostly caused the the infamous bitch of a cousin to Lady Fate and Lady Luck known as Writer's Block. I've got rough ideas of how each of my stories' next chapter is going to go, but I can't just for the life of me decide which one is most important to update first. My idea?

You, the reader, are going to choose which fics I update in what order.

How you ask? Simple.

I'm going to give out a question, and the first four (4) people to give me an acceptable answer will get to decide (based on order of who answer first) which story is updated next.

Based on the collective answers and my thoughts regarding them, this may actually turn into the norm. So here's the question:

--In Sartre's 1943 play _The Flies_ (or _Les Mouches_ in its original language) he retells the Greek myth of Electra. Without plagiarizing (if you don't know what that term means, you need to stop snoozing during class my minion), try to identify and elaborate the correlation between Orestes' actions and Sartre's statement in his lecture entitled "Existentialism is a Humanism" regarding Man's responsiblity over individuality.--

Bonus question: What politically incorrect mannerism did I make in the question above?

_Note that the bonus question does not reward the same as the question, but it will provide a smaller prize based on the request of the winner; note that only one (1) winner is eligible for the bonus question, though it is possible for someone to be one of the four winners for the original question itself as well as the single bonus question winner._

Answers must be submitted in the form of a private message; reviews containing any answers will be disregarded; answers will be accepted upward of two (2) weeks starting immediately after posting this challenge or until at such time as all winners have been announced.

Winners will be contacted and correspondence will commence to figure out rewards. Upon completion of the challenge, the chapter of each story containing this challenge will be deleted and replaced at a later time with the next step of progression in the storyline.


	14. Notices

Attention all loyal readers!

It has been hinted at in today's news update on the front page of the site that FF.N's admin team may be cracking down on content with explicit content relating to highly-detailed depictions of violence & sex. To all of you reading this, you all know that I myself am **_very_**much a part of that group of authors that, if they are indeed sifting through the hundreds of thousands of stories on here to eliminate offenders to the "no content beyond M" policy they made when they revised the site back in '02, will inevitably be banned.

As such, I'm making an account with AFF to backup my stuff - you'll be able to find me under the pen name "Magister_Krims" over there. I'll be working on transferring current projects over there for the next month or so, given the fact that on top of these new developments I'm moving to a new apartment not far from my new college on the 22nd, but that new place is a bit over a hundred miles away. Hence, the two updates I have semi-ready are having to be backburnered yet again (sorry folks!) in order for me to have everything prepped & ready.

Sorry that this isn't an update, but I just needed to let you all know what was going down. Especially as I won't back down, not after all the work I've put into these stories - I refuse to be censored!


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